Office of the Historian

790.5/8–2152

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Allison)

confidential
[Washington,] August 21, 1952.

Subject:

  • Pacific Pact

Participants:

  • Mr. John M. Allison, Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs
  • Dr. You Chan Yang, Ambassador, Korean Embassy Mr. Pyo Wook Han, Political Counselor, Korean Embassy
  • Mr. Kenneth T. Young, Director, Office of Northeast Asian Affairs
  • Mr. H.O.H. Frelinghuysen, NA

At his request, Ambassador Yang called on me this afternoon to discuss a variety of subjects, including a Pacific Pact.

The Ambassador emphasized the importance which his Government attached to the formation of a Pacific Pact which would embrace all nations in the Far East. He expressed his Government’s regret that it appeared that we were willing to ally ourselves in such a Pact only with Australia and New Zealand. He said that he had heard the comment made that this was a “white alliance” and would never include the yellow race.

I informed the Ambassador that the security arrangements between this Government and the Australian and New Zealand Governments had nothing to do with a Pacific Pact, but were concerned only with the security of the three countries involved. I told the Ambassador that we had always been sympathetic with the idea of a Pacific Pact and that I thought that eventually it would become a reality but that at the present time it was premature to expect one to be established. I pointed out the difficulties created by the peculiar relationships existing between the nations which would be concerned in any such Pact. I called to the Ambassador’s attention the tensions that existed between some of these countries, particularly between southeast Asia and Japan and indicated that a Pact would not be very effective without Japan. I pointed out as another example failure of Burma and the Philippines to recognize the Indochinese States and Burma’s recognition of Communist China. I said that this Government would continue to support the idea of a Pacific Pact but that I thought that the Asian nations themselves must get together to initiate it. The Ambassador while recognizing the difficulties involved endeavored to minimize them and strongly urged that we take action to form an all-embracive alliance stating his Government’s belief that if given the [Page 213] chance all nations would gradually participate and resolve their differences of opinion.