Editorial Note
The Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty (including an Understanding by the United States), a Protocol to the Treaty, and the Pacific Charter were all signed at the close of the Sixth Plenary Session the afternoon of September 8, 1954. The Treaty and Protocol were signed for Australia, France, New Zealand, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom by the respective chiefs of delegation. Garcia, Delgado, and three other delegates signed for the Philippines. Dulles and Senators Smith and Mansfield signed for the United States. Casey circulated Conference Document No. VI–a, whose substantive text is as follows: “I shall sign—subject to the right of the Australian Government to review the Treaty prior to ratification in accordance with Australian Constitutional Practice.” (Conference files, lot 60 D 627, CF 356) Casey used similar language [Page 899] during his statement to the Sixth Plenary Session. (Verbatim transcript of Sixth Plenary Session; Conference files, lot 60 D 627, CF 356) The following sentence appears over the signature of Mohammed Zafrullah Khan in both documents: “Signed for transmission to my Government for its consideration and action in accordance with the Constitution of Pakistan.”
For text of the Treaty (with Understanding) and the Protocol, see 6 UST 81.
The Pacific Charter was initialed, rather than signed, by the chiefs of the Australian, French, and New Zealand Delegations. Minister Zafrullah Khan attached no reservation to his signature of this document, but Lord Reading signed “ad referendum”. Signatures were otherwise identical to those for the Treaty and Protocol.
For text of the Pacific Charter, see 6 UST 91.
For text of the Secretary’s statement made at the Sixth Plenary Session of the Conference, see Department of State Bulletin, September 20, 1954, page 392. His report to the nation, “The Manila Pact and the Pacific Charter”, delivered over radio and television on September 15, is ibid., September 27, 1954, page 431.