Office of the Historian

790.5/8–754

Memorandum of Conversation, by William J. Galloway, Special Assistant to the Counselor of the Department of State

confidential
[Washington, August 7, 1954.]

Subject:

  • U.K. Views on Procedures in Connection with SEA Pact.

Participants:

  • Mr. Joy, First Secretary—British Embassy
  • Mr. Galloway—C
  • Mr. Nunley—RA

This morning, Mr. Joy gave me the following information based on telegrams just received from London:

Mr. Eden agreed that there was no need for formal invitations to be issued to the interested Governments in connection with the meeting on the SEA Pact. He accepted the U.S. proposal that those Governments sending representatives to the meeting would make simultaneous announcements in advance. In this connection, Pakistan should be free to make an announcement in terms which would make clear that there was no commitment on the part of the Government of Pakistan to do anything other than attend the meeting.

The U.K. agreed with the point of view expressed by the French that the simultaneous announcements by the Governments should not be made earlier than August 11, which was the final date of the entry into force of some of the ceasefire provisions in Vietnam.

The U.K. was definitely opposed to convening an informal working group in Washington. It was felt that this would be bad in the eyes of Asian opinion and that it would be best if this whole project did not bear the stamp of U.S. initiative. The U.K. would not make known its final views in regard to the convening of a working group, however, until it had been able to consult further with the Government of Pakistan.

In regard to the location for the meeting of Foreign Ministers, Mr. Eden thought that Bangkok and Singapore would not be appropriate. If Ceylon should decide to participate in the meeting, Mr. Eden [Page 713] thought that some place in Ceylon would be appropriate for the meeting. If the meeting were not held in Ceylon, Mr. Eden thought either the Philippines or Australia would be appropriate.

If provision were made for the drafting of the Treaty to be largely completed by a working group, and if the Ministers were to meet only for three or four days to finalize the work, Mr. Eden would agree to attend the proposed meeting.