751G.00/4–954: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Embassy in the Philippines1
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2589. For Ambassador from Secretary. Our 2577.2 Thai Ambassador today informed me his Govt accepts invitation to join in arranging for a united front against Communist aggression in Southeast Asia, as I had earlier proposed.
This fact has been released to press. However, I would appreciate your taking early convenient opportunity to inform Philippine Govt and if you think advisable suggest tactfully that similar response from Philippine Govt would be appreciated. FYI it would be very helpful if this acceptance could be obtained while I am in London or Paris, where I am going tomorrow.3 You would understand that present acceptance is only in principle, leaving details to be worked out. Also I have emphasized and will emphasize in Paris that the united front I plan would depend indispensably upon assured independence to Associated States. Of course, acceptance of US proposal would not imply any present recognition by Philippines of Associated States although this would ultimately have to be assumed, presumably under conditions quite acceptable to Philippines which would be created under our present plan.
- Drafted and approved for transmission by the Secretary personally.↩
- Not printed; it contains a résumé of the conversation summarized in Bell’s memorandum of Apr. 5, p. 404.↩
- Dulles arrived in London on Apr. 11 and in Paris on Apr. 13. On Apr. 15, he returned to Washington. For the major documentation on his trip, see vol. xiii, Part 1, pp. 1307 ff.↩