Lot 54D423
Draft of Letter by the Consultant to the Secretary (Dulles) to the Secretary of Defense (Marshall)1
My Dear Mr. Secretary: Supplementing my letter of August 9, 1951,2 I should like to inform you that, in consequence of last-minute advices3 from Ambassador Cowen as to Philippine reaction to the elimination of a “council” from the proposed United States-Philippine Security Treaty, Secretary Acheson authorized Ambassador Cowen to discuss with the Philippine Government a slight alteration of Article III of the draft as submitted by the Secretary of State to the Secretary of Defense on August 2, 1951
In that draft Article III read:
“The Parties will consult together whenever in the opinion of either of them the territorial integrity, political independence or security of either of the Parties is threatened in the Pacific.”
Ambassador Cowen was authorized to discuss an Article III which would read:
“The Parties through their Foreign Ministers or their deputies will consult together from time to time regarding the implementation of the treaty and whenever in the opinion of either of them the territorial integrity, political independence or security of either of the Parties is threatened by external armed attack in the Pacific.”
The critical nature of the situation in Manila called for immediate action which we believe to be quite consistent with the point of view of the Joint Chiefs that there should be no formal or standing body, and that there should be no basis for any claim to exchange of information as to military planning. Article III in the original draft approved by the Joint Chiefs provided for consultation. The revised draft does little more than provide that such consultation shall be between the Secretary of State and his deputy, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines and his deputy, thus emphasizing the civilian and nonmilitary character of the consultations in the same way that was approved by the Joint Chiefs to accomplish that purpose in Article VII of the Australia-New Zealand Treaty.
It is the opinion of the Department of State that Article III as now suggested does no more than-to-reaffirm-the normal diplomatic situation where the two Foreign Ministers, directly or through their [Page 245] deputies, have the right and custom of consulting with each other from time to time regarding any matters of common concern.
Sincerely yours,
- A typed note accompanying the source text reads in part: “J[ohn] F[oster] D[ulles] not sure we will send but wants ready if needed.” A handwritten note in the margin reads: “Not used”.↩
- See p. 243.↩
- Possibly a reference to the language concerning a “council” in the Philippine draft transmitted in telegram 529, August 6, p. 237.↩