Office of the Historian

811.24596/12–446

Memorandum by the Secretary of State to the Acting Secretary of State

top secret
[New York?] December 1, 1946.

With reference to the attached,18 I agree with the recommendation of the Chief of Staff General Eisenhower, contained in paragraph 5, that we proceed to withdraw all army forces from the Philippines.

If the Philippine Government urges that a force be permitted to remain for a short period, I would recommend that the request be granted and a limited force be retained with the understanding it will gradually be reduced and then withdrawn.19

J[ames] F. B[yrnes]
  1. See letter from the Secretary of War, November 29, supra.↩
  2. At the direction of the Secretaries of State, War, and Navy on December 4, the Acting Secretary of State on that day obtained President Truman’s approval of the recommendation that the United States withdraw its Army forces from the Philippines (811.24596/12–446).↩