790.5/6–1952
The British Ambassador (Franks) to the Secretary of State
top secret
Washington, June 19, 1952.
Dear Dean: I have reported to London what you had said to me yesterday about talks on South East Asia.
- 2.
- The principal questions which London wanted us to discuss with you were the scope of retaliatory action which sould be taken in the event of further Chinese aggression and the possible result of such retaliatory action outside China.
- 3.
- Apart from this I think I should mention to you one point in the brief which was sent to me for use in the talk which we had hoped to have before you left, in order that you may have time to consider it before the meetings in London.
- 4.
- We are sceptical of the value of a further warning statement at this stage in addition to those which have already been made. [Page 115] We believe that a far better deterrent would be to give tangible evidence that we and you and the French—and others willing to participate—have a coordinated policy in the Far East and South East Asia, and are prepared to put into effect the warnings already given of retaliatory action in the event of further Chinese aggression. Our efforts should be directed towards proving to the Chinese that any attacks on the interests of any Allied powers would be resisted by them all. We feel that the first step in this direction might be the setting up of joint Allied machinery to plan a co-ordinated defence of South East Asia.1
Yours sincerely,
Oliver Franks
- In an attached note of June 24, Gibson stated that this letter had been included in the Secretary’s briefing book for the London talks.↩