Conference files, lot 59 D 95, CF 116
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Ambassador at Large (Jessup)1
secret
[Kaneohe,
T.H.,] August 8, 1952.
Subject:
- Australian Questions
Participants:
- Mr. Casey, Australian Minister of External Affairs
- Philip C Jessup, U.S. Ambassador at Large
At the airport prior to our departure from Kaneohe, Mr. Casey spoke to me about the following matters:
- 1.
- He mentioned the question of the island of Manus. He said that along about the close of the war the United States had been interested in a base on Manus and that the then Labor Government in Australia had “very stupidly” turned down the request. He said he understood that we had now made other arrangements and did not need the base there. He had spoken to Admiral Radford and suggested that even if we did not want it as a base perhaps arrangements could be made for occasional calls by American naval vessels. He said this would be very helpful to them in Australia. (Mr. Perkins later informed me that the Australians have an idea that if we were concerned with Manus it might give us a larger interest in the New Guinea question.)
- 2.
- Mr. Casey asked me whether the Secretary would plan to say anything more about the further development of a Pan-Pacific Pact. I told him I thought there was nothing more that could be said. The question had been covered at the Conference and in the Communiqué and we had all tried to find a general form of words which would deal with the question in such a way as to avoid hurting the susceptibilities of any other countries. Mr. Casey inquired whether the Secretary’s statement at the Conference that the United States did not anticipate any development of this kind within the next year represented his definite views on the matter. I told him that the Secretary’s statement was quite explicit and that he did not need to go beyond that.
- 3.
- Mr. Casey said that immediately after the decision in the Council on the question of a UK Observer he had cabled to Eden explaining the decision and emphasizing that it represented the unanimous judgment of everyone at the conference and that all considered that no other answer to that question was possible at this time.
- 4.
- Mr. Casey handed me a letter to the Secretary2 on the question of cooperation between Radio Australia and VOA. He repeated [Page 204] the statement which he had made at the conference concerning the desirability of close liaison which would enable them to cooperate through their facilities.