Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, East Asia and the Pacific, Volume XII, Part 1

S/S–NSC files, lot 63 D 351

Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson) to the Under Secretary of State (Smith)

top secret

[Washington,] May 5, 1953.

Subject:

• NSC 148¹

NSC 148 on United States Policies in the Far East is an attempt to draw together the various area papers on the Far East, i.e., NSC 118/2 on Korea,² NSC 124/2 on Southeast Asia,³ NSC 146 on Formosa and NSC 125/5 on Japan.⁴

NSC 148 was drafted prior to recent developments concerning the armistice negotiations in Korea and, while much of it will in any event remain valid, the paper should be re-examined in the light of the situation that will exist when the present negotiations have either been successful or definitely fail.

Paragraphs 6(a) and 6(b) are particularly important in connection with our policies in Japan and Korea because regional arrangements provide a context by which it will be possible to accelerate the buildup of defense forces in those two countries, particularly in Japan. Paragraph 6(b) is vital for the development of Japanese economic liability [viability?].

So far as Southeast Asia is concerned, NSC 148 was drafted prior to recent Viet Minh invasion of Laos and the consequent increased danger to the free world position in all of Southeast Asia. While its recommendation that increased use be made of indigenous forces in the Far East is still valid as a basic general objective, study should be given as to whether the present and proposed plans of the French in Indo-China are adequate to accomplish their purposes.

It should be noted that the figures for economic and military aid for FY 1954 contained in the tables appended to NSC 148 fail to take into account the French strategic plan presented by Mr. Letourneau last month.⁵

The paper points out the ultimate objective of the United States to seek the development in China of an independent, stable, self-sustaining non-Communist government friendly to the United States. However, it points out that attainment of this objective is subordinate to the solution of the immediate problem of the threat to the United States and free world security resulting from the establishment of control over China by an aggressive Communist regime closely aligned with and supported by the Soviet Union. It states that United States policy has been in theory to encourage the defection of the Peiping regime from Moscow and the overthrow of the Peiping regime and its replacement by a Chinese government hostile to Moscow. There is in this policy an ultimate dilemma since both could not, of course, occur at the same time. However, a policy of increasing pressure on Communist China short of outside United States intervention in China promotes both courses. Thus the dilemma at this stage is only a potential one. While it may have to be resolved in the long run, it is neither possible nor necessary to do so now.

Recommendation

It is recommended that NSC 148 be referred back to the Planning Board for continuing study in the light of developments within the next few months particularly in Korea and Southeast Asia.⁶

1. Dated Apr. 6, p. 285.
2. “United States Objectives and Courses of Action in Korea”. This paper, dated Dec. 20, 1951, was approved by the President that same day. For text, see Foreign Relations, 1951, vol. vii, Part 1, p. 1382.
3. Dated June 25, 1952, p. 125.
4. “United States Objectives and Courses of Action With Respect to Japan”, Apr. 28, 1953. For documentation concerning the NSC 125 Series, see volume xiv.
5. For documentation on this phase of the U.S.-French political talks of March 1953, see vol. xiii, Part 1, pp. 432 ff.
6. No indication of consideration of the NSC 148 Series subsequent to this memorandum has been found in Department of State files.