145. Telegram From the Delegation at the SEATO Council Meeting to the Department of State1
Secto 12. Re Secto 10. Following is text Secretary’s remarks on Council representatives report.
Annual report of Council representatives, which is now before us, represents most valuable contribution to growth and development of SEATO organization. United States gratified at progress made by treaty organization Bangkok and approve of the programs and policies laid down by Council representatives for year ahead. That includes report on budget—although I believe Australian delegates observations are worthy of note.
I should like associate myself with remarks by several of my colleagues yesterday when they expressed thanks to government Thailand which has so generously provided headquarters and other facilities for our organization. The permanent organization set up there as result decisions at Karachi year ago has now been established in sound basis. We are pleased to have with us for first time several officers and members of International Staff, whose work has contributed much to effectiveness of SEATO.
I should also like congratulate Council representatives who spent many months in preparation this report and this meeting. It is particularly noteworthy sign of growing unity and cohesion of our treaty organization that representatives of our eight governments should be able sit down and come to unanimous agreement on nature of threat of international communism to treaty area and recommend [Page 323] programs by which SEATO organization can assist member governments in area to expose and counter it.
There are certain comments I would like to make on major activities which SEATO has undertaken under jurisdiction of Council representatives.
First of all field of countering Communist subversion. From outset, we have recognized that this task lies in hands of member governments, aided by their friends, and that SEATO’s role should be that of assisting member governments in fields of identifying exposing and countering threat of international communism.
We believe organization has made encouraging beginning in all of these fields.
Several members of Council yesterday referred to need to expose evils of communism to public view and to make peoples of treaty area more aware of nature communism and threat it presents to their security and independence. Gratifying to note that Council representatives in their report have foreseen this need and have made provision for SEATO through its research service center and public relations office, to make available to member governments information materials which will be useful in bringing before public case against communism. United States fully supports this SEATO effort.
Another project in field of exposing communism which has our support is proposal to hold seminar on countering Communist subversion. Representatives of Committee of Security Experts meeting here in Canberra have been able resolve main problems concerning its organization and it is now possible to go ahead with detailed planning. Philippine government whose vigorous action in combatting Communist subversion is well known has generously offered make facilities available Baguio for holding of seminar later this year. I should now like to turn to economic aspects of Council representatives report. United States is keenly aware of fact that serious economic problems may result from national programs responsive to Article II of treaty. From beginning of SEATO, therefore, United States has complied with Article III of treaty which calls on parties to cooperate with one another in economic development.
Result has been series of bilateral arrangements under United States MSP. That is our normal procedure.
United States is gratified note economic growth and strengthening of economic base of these countries that have taken place since treaty came into force.
United States also participates in activities of SEATO committee of economic experts. This committee has paid particular attention to problems common to all member countries, which can be best dealt with through coordination or joint action.
[Page 324]One of these common problems is that of skilled labor. You may recall that at Karachi meeting last year I stated that United States stood ready to cooperate in intensified effort meet this problem2 and that we were prepared join other treaty members in contributing resources and personnel to such program. Since that time much progress has been made in SEATO’s study of means help solve skilled labor problem among our Asian members. A study group on shortage of skilled labor met in Bangkok last month. United States will study its conclusions and recommendations in detail. We are prepared consider feasibility of such projects of study group as may come to us from SEATO.
We understand there will be report from study group on engineering workshops which met few days ago in Pakistan and that other studies may be undertaken as result of meeting of SEATO civil-military study group on maintenance and rebuild capacities in Bangkok last August.
As you may know, our Congress, about year and half ago appropriated funds for Asian economic development in form of regional projects. Part of this fund still remains available during our next fiscal year. If SEATO committee of economic experts develops sound projects qualifying under this fund, United States Government would be glad consider any such projects for assistance from this source.
With respect to future of committee of economic experts it needs be recognized that since our eight countries are widely scattered and do not form economic entity, SEATO must necessarily limit its economic activities to special projects which have multilateral aspects. Bilateral arrangements, we believe, will continue be principal channel for cooperation in accord Article III of treaty.
As I said yesterday, there are certain aspects of these bilateral programs which might very well be further explored.
Among these is question of extent to which might be helpful and useful to identify with the name SEATO, bilateral programs which in point of fact serve SEATO and which only exist, at least in their present scale, because receiving country is member of SEATO? I recall in this connection what honorable delegate of Pakistan said yesterday. I am aware SEATO is under a form of attack, to some extent in his country, and it would be useful to be able to point specifically to benefits Pakistan obtains from membership of SEATO. Fact is—and this applies to other countries also—that there is a very substantial aid which comes from United States to Pakistan and that aid, at least on scale at which it is going at present would not be going there at all if were not for fact that Pakistan is member of SEATO. On the other hand, I recognize that it is not going there [Page 325] bearing SEATO labels; therefore people of Pakistan are not aware of relationship between that aid and membership Pakistan in SEATO. That is problem of public concern. I do not think answer is to be found in channelling bilateral aid through SEATO committee of experts. I am quite sure that aid would be less and slower if that process were followed and it would build up bureaucracy in SEATO which is quite unnecessary and which would not really serve any useful purpose. Question is, how do we bring about identification of relationship which, in fact, exists? We have to find way to do that. That is problem which might very well provide food for further thought and study and certainly United States has no objection whatever to full exploration of, and in principle, adoption of measures which would more clearly identify assistance which, in fact, is largely due to membership in SEATO.
I pass on now to speak on aspects of report which deal with information.
In information field, we concur with recommendations of Council representatives to strengthen public relations office in order that it may initiate expanded program to make SEATO better known in treaty area as well as undertake program to expose strategy and tactics of international communism.
United States also attaches importance to SEATO cultural program recommended by Council representatives. While bilateral exchanges should continue to play leading role in furthering SEATO cultural relations between SEATO members, time has now come try under auspices SEATO few well thought out multilateral exchanges and cultural meetings.
United States also welcomes decision of committee on information cultural education and labor activities to undertake development of limited SEATO program in labor field. It is of utmost importance to prevent Communists from succeeding in efforts gain control of labor organizations in the area. Increasing productivity and raising of labor and living standards are of course essential to this end, but training of trade union leaders is equally necessary.
United States, Mister Chairman, approves Council representatives recommendations as given in part VI of report. To carry out these programs it is prepared, subject to appropriations, to contribute to common budget as recommended by Council representatives.
Re Secretary General I have some observations which I will defer.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 396.1–CA/3–1257. Secret; Priority. Pouched to London, Paris, Singapore, Karachi, Manila, Bangkok, Wellington, Djakarta, Saigon, Vientiane, Phnom Penh, Rangoon, Colombo, New Delhi, and Taipei at Canberra’s request.↩
- See Document 91.↩