Foreign Relations of the United States, 1951, Asia and the Pacific, Volume VI, Part 1

Lot 54D423

Memorandum by the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Secretary of Defense(Marshall)¹

top secret

Washington, April 17, 1951.

Subject: Japanese Peace Treaty

[Here follow paragraphs numbered 1 through 10 (printed on page 990).]

11. Draft treaty for consideration by the Governments of Australia, New Zealand, and the United States of America.

a. General comments on security arrangements between the United States and the Pacific Island nations were furnished you by memorandum dated 11 April 1951.

b. Specifically, and for the reasons in the above referenced memorandum, the Joint Chiefs of Staff find objectionable the text of Articles VII and VIII of the draft treaty.² In this connection, the Joint Chiefs of Staff desire that there be no reference of any nature in any new security arrangements with nations of the Pacific Islands other than Japan (if such arrangements must eventuate) to military plans, planning, or organizations therefor. The Joint Chiefs of Staff would find serious objection to including openly in a treaty any requirement for the establishment of a military planning organization with Australia and New Zealand and for any formal military planning among the Pacific Island nations.

For the Joint Chiefs of Staff:

Hoyt S. Vandenberg

Chief of Staff, United States Air Force

1. This memorandum was transmitted to Mr. Acheson under Secretary Marshall’s covering letter of April 19, p. 989.
2. Of February 17, p. 172.