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

790.5/6–454: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom¹

top secret
niact

Washington, June 4, 1954—8:04 p.m.

6575. The holding of the 5–power military talks here without the participation of the Philippine and Thai representatives has provoked serious repercussions at Bangkok and Manila. Filipinos especially insist on participation and failure to invite them has given rise to difficulties for Magsaysay.² We are being accused in Manila of “drawing the color line”³ and snubbing our close allies.

One of the principal reasons for this difficulty is the leak in London of the report regarding the holding of this meeting, coupled with the British insistence that it be on the Chief of Staff level. We believe that the only way out of this dilemma and to avoid damaging our position in the Philippines and in Thailand is to invite their representatives to attend at least one session of the 5–power talks as a face-saving device. Radford has put this question to Harding, who replied that this evoked political considerations about which he would have to consult London. You are instructed therefore to urge HMG to direct Harding to agree to an invitation to the Thais and Filipinos to attend at least one session of the current talks.

Dulles

1. Repeated for information to Geneva as telegram Tosec 351, marked “for Under Secretary”.
2. In telegram 2721 from Manila, June 1, Chargé Lacy had informed the Department of State of this request of the Philippine Government and stated that although he had not informed Philippine officials of this opinion, the Embassy believed that “exclusion Philippines or any other friendly SEA power from these conversations inevitably productive of effective criticism on part [Senator Claro] Recto as well as Asian neutralist leaders to effect that conversations now in progress Washington further evidence US preference for white Westerners and exclusion colored and Asian powers even when security SEA subject discussion.…Philippine security exceedingly poor and contribution Philippine military to discussions something less than important.… Would it not be possible for five powers to invite participation Philippines at some stage of discussions at which security considerations negligible?” (790.5/6–154)
3. The phrase “drawing a color line” appears in an aide-mémoire, not printed, handed Murphy by Ambassador Romulo on June 3. (Attachment to memorandum of a conversation held June 3 between Romulo and Murphy, not printed; 790.5/6–354)