740.0011 PW (Peace)/9–1447
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State48
My interview with Dr. Evatt49 was most informal and was almost entirely confined to discussions by him. I did not find it necessary to make any important statements.
Dr. Evatt devoted most of the time to the question of the Pacific Peace Treaty. He was strongly of the opinion that we should decide very shortly, that is, during our early meetings here in New York, to have a preliminary procedural meeting, preferably at Pearl Harbor because of psychological reasons. Whether or not the Soviets attended he did not think at this time was of great importance because he felt that later they would feel compelled to attend in order to safeguard commitments which had already been made in their favor regarding the southern half of Sakhalin, the Kuriles, et cetera.
Dr. Evatt thought that the meeting in Hawaii should be restricted to a very limited period and suggested three or four days. During that time he thought that the ordinary questions of procedure could be settled and that the committees could be determined upon, and the date and place for the formal conference settled.
Dr. Evatt was of the opinion that the formal meeting should occur within two or three months and he expressed the view that a peace treaty could be completed within three months after the meeting in Hawaii. He thought it very important that we conclude matters in the Pacific at as early a date as possible, and he felt that the issues were not difficult of solution, that is, comparable to the extreme difficulties in connection with the peace treaty regarding Germany.
Dr. Evatt talked at some length regarding his visit to Tokyo and his discussions with General MacArthur. He disagreed with MacArthur regarding the holding of the formal conference in Tokyo. He thought that it was not advisable. In other matters he seemed to be in pretty general agreement with General MacArthur. He stated several times there was a full disposition on the part of the British Empire troops to go along with the United States and accept United States leadership. He foresaw no complications in this regard.
Regarding the present meeting of the General Assembly he made almost no comments. He was very critical of Mr. Bevin’s Fort Knox gold utterances.
[Page 518]He had nothing to say about the veto nor about the chairmanship of the Assembly and I made no reference to these matters.
Dr. Evatt asked me to please keep him advised of the American desires and indicated a desire on his part to go along with us.