S/P–NSC files, lot 62 D 1, NSC 5429 Series
Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson) to the Secretary of State
Subject:
- NSC 5429/5, Paragraph 9
I was disturbed to find that NSC 5429/5 contains the following paragraph despite the repeated written protests of FE, which sought to have this paragraph deleted or at least satisfactorily amended:
“9. The United States must keep open the possibility of negotiating with the USSR and Communist China acceptable and enforceable agreements, whether limited to individual issues now outstanding or involving a general settlement of major issues.”
The history of FE’s objections to the language of this paragraph goes back to October 21, when FE commented adversely in a memorandum from Deputy Assistant Secretary Drumright to Mr. Bowie on virtually identical language used in paragraph 23 of the “Summary Statement of Existing Basic National Security Policy”.1 In my memorandum to Mr. Bowie of November 9,2 FE again called attention to this language, which was contained in paragraph 42 b of NSC 162/2 on “Basic National Security Policy”, as well as paragraph 23 of the Summary Statement cited above. Despite FE’s objections to this paragraph in the Basic National Security Policy paper, the same language was incorporated into NSC 5429/3 of November 19.
In my memorandum to you of November 303 on NSC 5429/3, a copy of which was sent to S/P for concurrence, FE’s objections to this language, now contained in paragraph 10 a of NSC 5429/3, were again set forth. It was recommended as a minimum that the [Page 1079] words “Communist China” be deleted from the paragraph and that it would be preferable if the whole paragraph were eliminated. Nevertheless, the same paragraph was included in NSC 5429/4 of December 10. In my memorandum to you of December 204 on NSC 5429/4, a copy of which was sent to S/P for concurrence, FE again stated its objections to this paragraph (now numbered 9) and again recommended the deletion of the words “Communist China”, if the entire paragraph could not be eliminated.
Despite the long record of FE’s objection to the language of this paragraph, it was again included in NSC 5429/5 (Current U.S. Policy Toward the Far East). Your briefing meeting on this paper, attended by Mr. McConaughy in my absence, was interrupted before there could be a discussion of the paragraph in question. Mr. Bowie tells me that FE’s objection to the paragraph was noted on the copy which you carried to the NSC meeting and he assumed that you would note it in your discussion of the paper. I understand from you that you gave no consideration to this particular paragraph.
As matters now stand the language of paragraph 9 is not only inconsistent with paragraphs 47 and 48 of NSC 5440/1 (Basic National Security Policy),5 but even with paragraph 7 a of NSC 5429/5 (Current U.S. Policy Toward the Far East) itself. I urge, therefore, that steps be taken either to eliminate this paragraph altogether or revise it omitting the phrase “and Communist China” so as to bring it into consonance with paragraph 47 and 48 of Basic National Security Policy (NSC 5440/1).