DEPARTMENT OF STATE Memorandum of Conversation
DATE: April 15, 1952
SUBJECT: Call of New Zealand Ambassador - Mr. Leslie K. Munro
PARTICIPANTS: The New Zealand Ambassador, Mr. Leslie K. Munro The Secretary BNA - Mr. Shullaw
COPIES TO: S/S EUR FE UNA NEA Amembassy Wellington
The New Zealand Ambassador, Mr. Leslie K. Munro, paid a courtesy call on me today. In response to questions from Mr. Munro, I made some general observations on political developments in France and on the Tunisian problem. The Ambassador commented on the dilemma posed by the need for supporting France in Indo-China and North Africa and the strength in the Arab and Asian countries of anti-colonial feeling.
I pointed out that the French position in Indo-China and in North Africa was quite dissimilar. In the case of Indo-China France had done all that it could be expected to do in transferring responsibility for government to the Associated States. The regrettable fact was that the native leaders in the Associated States had shown themselves inefficient and unwilling to assume the responsibilities of government. In North Africa, however, the French Government had been influenced unduly, I thought, by the vested interests of a small group of Frenchmen and had delayed introducing reforms in the local administration. I pointed out that our abstention on the question of placing the Tunisian dispute on the Security Council agenda was prompted solely by our belief discussion in the Security Council would not be helpful at this time. I did say, however, that
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if reforms were not introduced it might be necessary for the matter to be discussed eventually in the Security Council.
The Ambassador expressed personal agreement with my statement that the introduction of a draft constitution in the Legislative Assembly of the Sudan was ill timed. I said that it was most unfortunate that this action had been taken at a time when negotiations were in progress between the United Kingdom and Egypt.
In discussing the situation created by the Soviet notes on Germany, I said that the West did have certain advantages in dealing with this Soviet maneuver. In the first place the attitude of Chancellor Adenauer is helpful to us, secondly the people of Western Germany are well aware of conditions in Eastern Germany under the communists, and thirdly the Soviet Union has the liability in its appeal to the Germans of the present Polish- German frontier.
Ambassador Munro did not raise the question of implementation of the Australia, New Zealand, United States Security Treaty.
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