740.0011 PW (Peace)/12–2749
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Director of the Office of Northeast Asian Affairs (Allison)
| Participants: | Mr. James Plimsoll, Member, Australian Delegation to UN |
| Mr. John M. Allison, Director, NA |
Mr. Plimsoll, an old friend from the time he was a member of the Australian Delegation to the FEC, dropped in to see me today and during the course of the general conversation had the following remarks to make concerning Japan and a possible treaty.
He stated that in his opinion it would be impossible to expect the USSR to sign any treaty which permitted the United States to retain bases or troops in Japan and that therefore, in view of the necessity from a security point of view of some such arrangement, he did not see how we could proceed with treaty negotiations. I stated that this was, of course, one of the problems of which we were acutely conscious and for which we were trying to find a solution. I then asked him what he thought would be the future course of action with respect to Japan if in fact it should prove impossible to obtain a treaty; and I reminded him of the reluctance of his Government and others to acquiesce in steps proposed by the United States for allowing Japan progressively to assume more international responsibilities. Mr. Plimsoll replied that in his opinion the new Australian Government1 would wish to go as far as possible in cooperating with the United States on Japanese matters, but that he was certain that such cooperation could be made easier if some sort of definite defense arrangements could be concluded regarding the Pacific between the United States and Australia. He went on to say that while the Australians recognize that Japan on its own could probably not become an aggressive menace for some years, nevertheless there was real fear in Australia that the United States might be building up the economic and industrial potential of Japan to a high degree, after which it might be taken over by the USSR and used against the other nations of Asia. It was this contingency as well as a resurgent militaristic Japan against which Australia wished to protect itself. He said that if Australia had assurances of joint action with the United States in case of trouble in the Pacific, there would not be nearly as much opposition to United States plans for a piecemeal treaty with Japan.
I made no comment other than to repeat that this whole problem of security in the Pacific, particularly as concerned Japan, was receiving the closest scrutiny by all concerned in this Government.
[Page 934]Mr. Plimsoll has been for some time a Far Eastern expert in the Australian Ministry of External Affairs and was for a period closely associated with Mr. Evatt. It is believed that he is in a position to know the general feeling amongst at least the permanent element in the Australian Ministry of External Affairs and that he was reflecting its views in the above remarks.
- Robert Gordon Menzies, Prime Minister since December 19. Percy C. Spender succeeded Dr. Evatt as Minister for External Affairs.↩