Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, East Asia and the Pacific, Volume XII, Part 2

796.5/5–354

No. 361
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Acting Secretary of State

secret

Washington, May 3, 1954.

Subject:

• Philippines

Participants:

• General Carlos Romulo (Philippines)
• Robert Murphy, Acting Secretary of State

Subsequent to his meeting with the President on April 30,¹ Ambassador Romulo² called on me today at his request saying that the President had suggested that he discuss with me the question of implementation of Article III of the Mutual Defense Treaty between the Philippines and the United States. Ambassador Romulo left with me the attached memorandum³ inviting attention to Articles III and V of the Treaty. He said that in view of the internal political situation in the Philippines it would be most helpful if President Magsaysay were in position to demonstrate that the Mutual Defense Treaty is not a dead letter and that the Philippines is an active factor in United States thinking. He said he hoped that a meeting of consultation under Article III could be arranged here in Washington. He would represent the Philippine Government and believed such a meeting would be conducive to offsetting some of the harmful work that Senator Recto and his followers, under the slogan “Asia for the Asians”, are doing to amicable relations between the Philippines and the United States.

The Ambassador mentioned incidentally that he had recently talked by telephone with Magsaysay who, he said, is disturbed over Garcia’s attitude in Geneva;⁴ that he, Romulo, thought it disgraceful that the Philippine representative had not responded immediately in support of the U.S. after Chou En-lai’s speech;⁵ he said that Magsaysay had told Romulo to be ready to proceed to Geneva at any moment if he should decide to replace Garcia.

I said that we would look into the suggestion regarding Article III of the Mutual Defense Treaty, appreciating his point. At the same time, I wondered how the conversations in Manila regarding U.S. bases were getting along. He said this is an unfortunate matter. He thought that what was intended by the agreements regarding bases is a 99-year lease rather than deed in perpetuity. I asked him whether he had any particular text in mind, but he seemed to be confused as to the language explaining that in his opinion the principal thing is to have happy and friendly relations with the population of the area rather than to depend on legalisms. I told the Ambassador I had always been of the opinion that the United States had acquired title to the bases and hoped this question could be settled promptly and amicably so that we could get on with so many other pressing matters. I also said we would let him know what could be done regarding his present Aide-Mémoire.

1. Memorandum of conversation between Romulo and President Eisenhower, not printed. (FE files, lot 55 D 480, box 325)
2. Romulo was the special representative of President Magsaysay in the United States.
3. Not printed. Article III provided for consultations between the United States and Philippines “from time to time” whenever either party felt “threatened by external armed attack in the Pacific”.
4. Vice President Garcia was head of the Philippine Delegation at the Geneva Conference on the Korean question.
5. Reference is to the statement made by Foreign Minister Chou En-lai, head of the Delegation of the People’s Republic of China at Geneva, on Apr. 28 relating to the Far Eastern situation in general.