780.5/6–2951: Despatch
An Attaché in the United Kingdom (Tibbetts) to the Department of State
air priority
No. 6403
Ref: Embtel 6752, June 22, 19511
Subject: Commonwealth Defense Discussions
There is enclosed a copy of “Conclusions on Strategy”,2 which was given to the Embassy by the Foreign Office, a summary of the results of the recent meeting on Commonwealth Defense. This paper was agreed to by the Commonwealth Defense Ministers present (the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Southern Rhodesia; Canada sent an observer) although the Defense Ministers did not have full powers to commit their governments. In fact, however, the Foreign Office said this “Heads of Agreement” was about as firm a commitment as the Commonwealth nations use among themselves. This document is also being sent to the British Embassy in Washington; the Embassy was asked not to transmit by telegram lest the Department be informed before the British Embassy. It is being furnished to the Department as an “oral communication” for information purposes and it was tactfully made clear that it would be [Page 155] appreciated if the Department’s representatives would not raise points from the “Conclusions” with representatives of other Commonwealth Governments although the Conference agreed that the United States should be informed. If the Department wishes, after study of the document, to elicit further information, the Foreign Office said that it would do its best to oblige.
Other points which the Foreign Office made on the conference are:
[Here follow detailed comments on the “Conclusions on Strategy”; see footnote 2 above.]
A copy of the press release issued at the conclusion of the conference is also enclosed.3 There was little discussion of the conference in the press because Shinwell told the correspondents that they would not receive any additional information and that he did not want much publicity.
- Not printed; it informed the State Department that the Commonwealth Defense meeting had decided that the United States should he told of its discussions after their conclusion. It also mentioned that the first session of the meetings had taken place June 21 and were expected to end on June 26 (780.5/6–2251).↩
- Not printed; the “Conclusions on Strategy” stated in part that the defense of the Middle East was vital to the security of the Commonwealth nations and that effective measures had to be taken for protection of the area, including the dispatch of Commonwealth forces in the event of aggression against the free nations of the world.↩
- Not printed here.↩