Lot 54D4423
Memorandum by the Consultant to the
Secretary (Dulles) to the Secretary of State
top secret
[Washington,] August 10,
1951.
Subject: U.S.–Philippine Security Treaty
I enclose copy of letter to Secretary Marshall dated yesterday,
delivering this morning. It follows the line of our conversation.
It:
- 1.
- Rejects the JCS suggestion of
eliminating reference to “a more comprehensive system of
regional security in the Pacific Area”, language already used in
the Australia–New Zealand treaty.
- 2.
- It accepts the other two suggestions mentioned in the third
paragraph of the enclosed letter. It is, however, our view that
if the Philippine Government is insistent upon retention of the
language,
[Page 243]
which is
that of the Vandenberg Resolution embodied in all subsequent
security treaties, we would have no effective argument against
that. We are clear that this Vandenberg Resolution language does
not have the meaning which now, for the first time, the JCS seem to feel will be imputed to
it.
[Enclosure]
The Consultant to the Secretary
(Dulles) to the Secretary
of Defense (Marshall)
top secret
August 9,
1951.
My Dear Mr. Secretary: Secretary
Acheson has asked me to acknowledge the receipt of your letter
of August 8, 1951,1 transmitting the views of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff with reference to a United States-Philippine
Security Treaty. As you say, these views were already presented
informally to the Secretary and to me.
We appreciate the prompt action of the Joint Chiefs which we
sought in view of the urgency of the matter.
In response to a message received earlier today2 from Ambassador
Cowen at Manila, we are tonight sending to him for discussion
with Foreign Minister Romulo a text3 substantially in the form transmitted to you
by the Secretary of State under date of August 2, 1951, which,
however, (1) deletes the phrase, “by means of continuous and
effective” in Article II as recommended by the Joint Chiefs of
Staff; and (2) inserts “by external armed attack” in Article III
as proposed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
We have not eliminated the Preamble reference to the development
of a more comprehensive system of regional security in the
Pacific area as suggested by the Joint Chiefs of Staff because
the Secretary of State and I feel that this suggestion was
perhaps made without the realization of the fact that identical
provision is in the Preamble to the pending Australian-New
Zealand-United States Security Treaty, approved by the Joint
Chiefs, yourself and by the President. Since the United States
is thereby committed to this concept, we feel that we could not
omit reference thereto in the contemplated United
States-Philippine Treaty without implying that if there is this more comprehensive system of
regional security the Philippines would be excluded. This
inference would nullify the overall advantage which we are
seeking and which is referred to in paragraph 3 of the
memorandum of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Sincerely yours,
