Office of the Historian

790.022/10–2951

The Secretary of Defense (Lovett) to the Secretary of State

confidential
Washington, 29 October 1951.

Dear Mr. Secretary: I refer to the letter of August 27, 1951, by the Deputy Under Secretary of State,1 in which he requested a study of the strategic value of certain islands in the Pacific claimed by the United States which are also claimed by Great Britain or New Zealand.

There is inclosed a memorandum to the Secretary of Defense by the Joint Chiefs of Staff which sets forth their evaluation of these islands from a strategic point of view.

Sincerely yours,

  • For the Secretary of Defense:
  • K. R. Kreps
  • Colonel, USAF, Deputy Director Executive Office of the Secretary
[Enclosure]

Memorandum by the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Secretary of Defense (Lovett)

confidential
Washington, 19 October 1951.

Subject: Strategic Value of Certain Pacific Islands Claimed by the United States and by Great Britain or New Zealand.

1. In accordance with the request contained in your memorandum of 6 September 1951,2 the Joint Chiefs of Staff have evaluated the strategic importance to the United States of the following islands, presently claimed by the United States and also claimed by Great Britain or New Zealand:

Line Islands (Vostok, Malden, Starbuck, Caroline, Flint, Christmas); Ellice Group (Nukufetau, Funafuti, Nurakita, Nukulailai); [Page 103] Phoenix Group (Canton, Enderbury, Sydney, Birnie, McKean, Gardner, Hull, Phoenix); Tokelau Group (Atafu, Nukunono, Fakaofu); Northern Cook Islands (Penrhyn, Manahiki, Rakahanga, Danger Islands).

2. With respect to all of the above islands, except those identified in paragraph 3 below, the Joint Chiefs of Staff are of the opinion that United States strategic interests would be adequately safeguarded if these islands were controlled by a government friendly to the United States and, further, if the rights of the United States were recognized to make such use of them as United States strategic interests demanded in the eventuality of global war.

3. In the light of present and foreseeable strategic factors and from the military point of view, the Joint Chiefs of Staff consider the following islands to be of sufficient strategic importance as to warrant United States claim of sovereignty thereto:

  • Canton (Phoenix Group)
  • Enderbury (Phoenix Group)
  • Funafuti (Ellice Group)
  • Christmas (Line Islands)

The importance of these islands to the United States is predicated upon strategic use for air bases and seaplane anchorages in the maintenance of lines of communication to the Australia, New Zealand, and Malaya (ANZAM) area. United States military interests will be best served by establishment of full United States sovereignty over at least these four islands.

  • For the Joint Chiefs of Staff:
  • Omar N. Bradley
  • Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff
  1. Not printed.↩
  2. Not found in Department of State files.↩