17. Memorandum From the Secretary of State to the President1
SUBJECT
- Your Attendance at the Colombo Plan Conference in Seattle on November 102
In our recent discussion of the forthcoming Colombo Plan Conference I indicated the desirability of your addressing the opening session as the head of the host government has traditionally done. The United States enjoys much good will in the Colombo Plan group. It is most important that we nourish it. Your appearance would make a profound impression on all Colombo Plan members.
My thinking on the nature of your address would contemplate a major emphasis on the importance we attach to the Colombo Plan, on our desire to make full use of its activities in the formulation of our own aid plans. It is an admirable instrument through which to seek some of our objectives in the area. Since the organization is composed exclusively of free world countries, antedates the Communist economic offensive, is highly esteemed by the Asian people and looked upon as their own institution it should be possible to strengthen this association of Asian countries with the rest of the free world through the Colombo Plan.
Although most aid officially cited under the Colombo Plan has come from the United States (about 85% or over $3 billion since 1951) recipient countries rarely relate what they obtain from the United States to the Colombo Plan. We might rectify this situation by emphasizing our intention to take into account the substantive discussions of economic development issues during the meetings in formulating our aid programs for the area. Toward this end we might encourage more joint effort to identify common economic development problems and more review of current bilateral aid programs. Emphasizing our desire [Page 43] to strengthen this regional association should more firmly establish in Asian eyes our posture of partnership with them in their economic development efforts.
In my General Assembly speech next week3 I intend to encourage all members to consider what they could do to assist the process of economic growth in the less developed areas and to report their plans to the United Nations. This is very similar to what is done annually under the Colombo Plan among its members. I shall list in this speech the major steps which the United States would be prepared to take or support during the coming year, e.g., 1) to support expanded capital for the IBRD and the IMF, 2) to marshall scientific resources in efforts to solve scientific problems bearing heavily on the less developed countries, 3) to join in supporting, as you announced to the recent Emergency Special Session, regional development institutions desired and supported by the governments of the areas concerned, 4) to support an International Development Association if it appeared likely to receive general support, etc.
I don’t believe we could find a better forum than the Colombo Plan, concerned as it is exclusively with problems of peaceful economic development, in which to elaborate on what will have been put before the General Assembly, particularly as it relates to the activities under the Colombo Plan or to our Far Eastern policies and programs generally. Any statement made by you in Seattle will reach a large audience.
I suggest that for the purpose of shaping these ideas into most effective speech form you may again wish to call on the services of C.D. Jackson.4
- Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Dulles–Herter Series. Confidential.↩
- Held November 10–13.↩
- For text of the Secretary’s speech delivered in New York on September 18 before the opening session of the 13th U.N. General Assembly, see Department of State Bulletin, October 6, 1958, p. 525.↩
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Special Assistant to President Eisenhower, 1953–1954, C.D. Jackson functioned thereafter as an occasional special adviser to the administration.
Dulles and Eisenhower discussed this proposal on October 2 and Eisenhower agreed, if Dulles could provide him with an appropriate address. (Memorandum of conversation by Dulles; Department of State, Central Files, 890.00/10–658)
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