Office of the Historian

159. Circular Telegram From the Department of State to Certain Diplomatic Missions1

Washington, June 14, 1957—3:52 p.m.

974. FYI. At suggestion of Clarence Randall, Chairman of Council on Foreign Economic Policy, interdepartmental working group organized and meeting to examine and make recommendations on problems of Asian regional economic development and cooperation. Geographic area committee covers Afghanistan to Japan including Australia and New Zealand. Committee members are State, Treasury, Commerce, Agriculture and ICA with an additional member (Kenneth Young) serving as Chairman and reporting to Mr. Randall.

In its third meeting on June 6 Committee agreed on following functions:

1.
To examine and evaluate previous experience and recommendations.
2.
To consider following general categories of questions:
a.
Would economic development and cooperation in Asia be improved and facilitated by multilateral treatment?
b.
To what extent will Asian governments and private groups increasingly recognize the value of and participate in regional or inter-Asian economic development and cooperation?
c.
Would expanded Asian regional economic development and cooperation advance U.S. interests and policy objectives?
d.
What existing or additional forms of regional association, public and private, would be desirable to encourage in order to promote accelerated economic development and cooperation in Asia?
3.
To formulate criteria and determinations of regional suitability and comparative advantage in various economic fields.
4.
To consider the manner in which concepts of competitive free enterprise might be fostered and participation by private capital maximized.
5.
To make findings and recommendations on:
a.
Items suitable for regional economic development and cooperation in Asia.
b.
Ways and means for expanding regional economic development and cooperation in Asia.
c.
Adequacy of U.S. policies, organization and operations for handling regional economic development and cooperation in Asia.
6.
To consider feasibility of holding conference of U.S. officials regarding Asian regional economic development and cooperation.
7.
To submit interim report to Chairman of the CFEP.

Department would appreciate any comments, specific recommendations or suggestions from the field that might facilitate Committee’s work. Committee has before it field replies (submitted in response Department’s Circular 764, March 18)2 to Randall report and subsequent communications but wishes point out Randall instruction undertake this study with fresh approach and without being restricted by previous recommendations in Randall report or any others. Committee hopes to have interim report or draft report by mid-July. Request Embassies discuss with Country Teams.3

Organization and work of Committee is not to be discussed at this stage with foreign personnel. End FYI.

Dulles
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 100.4–FEP/6–1457. Confidential. Sent to Bangkok, Canberra, Djakarta, Hong Kong, Manila, Phnom Penh, Rangoon, Saigon, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei, Tokyo, Vientiane, Wellington, Colombo, New Delhi, Kabul, Karachi, and Kuala Lumpur. Drafted and approved by Kenneth Young, and cleared with the members of the committee and appropriate geographic offices of the Department.↩
  2. Not printed. (Ibid., 890.00/3–1857) The replies are in the same file.↩
  3. Replies to circular telegram 974 are Ibid., 890.00.↩