743.5811/11–2450
The Secretary of State to the Secretary of Defense (Marshall)1
My Dear Mr. Secretary: The purpose of this letter is to submit for the consideration and recommendations of the Department of [Page 226] Defense a proposal that the Australian Government be invited to send a high level military mission to Washington. This mission, perhaps including a civilian member or members, would have access to top echelons of this Government and would have an opportunity to participate in policy planning involving major Australian interests. The mission would not be expected to participate in planning or have access to information not involving Australian interests. Furthermore, existing policies respecting the disclosure of classified military information would, of course, govern the classification and character of information given the mission.
The foreign policy of the Australian Government has stressed increasingly since World War II the importance of closer and friendlier relations with the United States. We have profited from the implementation of this policy both in our bilateral relations with Australia and in international bodies where Australia has made an effort to achieve an increasing measure of agreement between our two countries.
The discussions which we have had in recent months with the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Australia have served to underscore the following basic factors in the Australian-United States relationship: The Australian Government sincerely wishes to achieve a closer relationship with the United States, and it stands ready to contribute to the extent of its ability to those measures necessary for the maintenance of peace and security. This willingness to share the burden of resisting Communist aggression has been demonstrated in the case of Korea where the Australian response has been prompt and, considering Australian resources, substantial. At the same time, the present Government of Australia is very mindful of the fact that Australia is not a member of any organic body, such as the NATO, dealing with security and related questions, and among nations of its size and orientation is almost unique in this respect. As a consequence Australia, although ready to discharge its international responsibilities for the maintenance of world security, is hardly able to play even a minor role in influencing those policies and events which condition world peace.
In stating these views to the President during his recent visit to the United States,2 the Australian Foreign Minister, Mr. Spender, reiterated his frequently expressed arguments in favor of a Pacific Pact providing firm collective security arrangements. It has become increasingly clear, however, that Mr. Spender is primarily interested in a Pacific Pact, not for security reasons, but as a vehicle to achieve a closer participation for Australia in all stages of high level Washington [Page 227] planning which might later involve the disposition of Australian forces or material.
After careful consideration of various alternative courses of action, we have concluded that Australian needs would be substantially met by the acceptance in Washington of the proposed high level military mission. Acceptance of the mission would constitute a positive effort on our part to ensure that our relations with Australia and Australia’s willingness to cooperate with us are maintained on the high level which present world conditions make necessary. In the opinion of this Department such an effort is politically necessary if we are to avoid the danger of a deterioration in our present cordial and cooperative relationship.
There are a number of factors which, quite apart from the merits of the Australian claims for closer participation with this country in policy planning, would appear to warrant an invitation to Australia to send such a mission to Washington. Australia is alert to the Communist danger and willing to give military support to measures which may be necessary to resist it. In the area of South and Southeast Asia, Australia has taken the initiative in the formulation of a Commonwealth program of technical and economic assistance designed to raise standards of living and by so doing to ameliorate those conditions favoring the spread of Communism. In the United Nations ever since its founding Australia has played a role and exerted influence out of proportion to its size and material resources. We have recognized that United States interests would be served by the large scale development program which Australia is now undertaking. We have signified that interest through our support for the recent $100,000,000 World Bank loan to Australia3 and for the Bank’s acceptance in principle of further participation in the Australian development program. The Australian program of assisted immigration involving the movement of 2,000,000 persons to Australia during the next ten years is complementary to our own objective of resettling surplus European populations. All of these factors, with their political implications, are material to the consideration of whether or not United States interests would be served by acceptance of an Australian military mission.
I should mention that this proposal bears only a superficial resemblance to the Australian request in late 1948 to accredit a military representative to the Secretary of Defense. The present proposal does not involve such accreditation and is not, therefore, subject to the objections which were then raised to accrediting individuals to the Secretary of Defense. Furthermore, circumstances in 1948 were much different from those existing today both as regards United States-Australian [Page 228] relations and the general world situation. United States interests would not then have been served by acceptance of the Australian proposal, and Defense and State were in agreement that the proposal not be accepted.
Officers of this Department are prepared to discuss this matter in more detail with officers whom you may designate for that purpose. I hope that early agreement in principle to the acceptance of the mission can be obtained with its exact nature, size and terms of reference, to be worked out with the Department of Defense.
Sincerely yours,
- This letter, which was drafted by J. Harold Shullaw of the Office of British Commonwealth and Northern European Affairs, was submitted to the Secretary of State for approval under cover of a brief memorandum from Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Perkins concurred in by the Bureau of Far Eastern Affairs, the Munitions Division, and the Office of Deputy Under Secretary of State H. Freeman Matthews. Perkins’ memorandum, not printed, explained that the question of meeting the Australian desire for closer participation in United States military planning involving Australia and the Pacific was discussed informally with officers of the Department of Defense following Secretary Acheson’s approval of Perkins’ memorandum of October 27 (supra). Officers of the Department of Defense had suggested that the views of the Department of State be set forth in a letter from the Secretary of State to the Secretary of Defense (743.5811/10–2750).↩
- See Simmons’ memorandum of President Truman’s conversation with External Affairs Minister Spender on September 13, p. 212.↩
- Regarding the loan under reference here, see footnote 11 to the Report Prepared by the Department of State, p. 211.↩