790.5/4–2654
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Acting Officer in Charge of Korean Affairs (Jones)
Subject:
- Southeast Asian Defense Alliance.
Participants:
- Mr. Shigenobu Shima, Minister Plenipotentiary, Japanese Embassy
- Mr. Robert J.G. McClurkin, Acting Director, Office of Northeast Asian Affairs
- Mr. William G. Jones, Acting Officer in Charge, Korean Affairs
Mr. Shima, in connection with another matter, asked whether there had been any new developments in the attitude of the ROK in regard to the Southeast Asian Defense Alliance which we were working on. He wondered whether the ROK had been informed of these matters and stated that he had understood the plan would exclude the ROK and the Nationalist Chinese.
Mr. McClurkin stated that the ROK had been informed just as had Japan of these developments, and to about the same extent. India, Ceylon, and other countries also had been informed of the general nature of our thinking on such an alliance. We have no intention at this point of including Korea or Nationalist China. This has made Ambassador Yang quite unhappy, but it is our belief that an alliance of this sort must grow gradually. The Secretary hopes to have confidential, staff-level discussions going on with respect to this matter even during the Geneva Conference. Our present feeling is that the arrangements will be informal and thus unlike the formal arrangements of NATO. Despite the informality of arrangements, however, we must think in terms of a joint resolution by the Congress. Eventually, a situation may develop whereby these arrangements will evolve to include the ROK, China, and Japan as well when constitutionally possible.
Mr. Shima pointed out that a defense alliance with specific reference to Indo-China was quite a different matter than a more comprehensive Pacific collective security system. The later case involves a consideration of the relationships between Japan and the other countries. For example, the ANZUS defense treaty was in part directed against Japan. Mr. McClurkin agreed that a broadening of a defense alliance to include Japan would pose special problems. He did point out, however, that out of the ad hoc case of Indo-China might emerge larger arrangements. Despite the many differences among the countries in the Pacific area, there was a common bond, namely, the threat of Communist China. In the course of time, it is our hope and expectation that other countries in Asia will come to realize that Communist China and not Japan is indeed the real threat to peace.