DEPARTMENT OF STATE Memorandum of Conversation
DATE: October 7, 1952
SUBJECT: Philippine Participation in Southeast Asia Military Conversations
PARTICIPANTS: The Secretary Ambassador Romulo- Philippine Embassy FE-U. Alexis Johnson, Acting Assistant Secretary
Copies to: S/S FE EUR PSA Defense - Mr. Nash S/A- Ambassador Jessup
The Ambassador stated that he had asked to see the Secretary under instructions of President Quirino who had called him at 2:00 a.m. Philippine time in great agitation over Philippine exclusion from the present military talks in Washington on Southeast Asia. He stated that as the Secretary was out of town yesterday he had called to discuss the matter with Mr. Foster and Frank Nash of Defense. He stated that the President said Philippine newspapers and the political opposition were headlining the fact that for a second time (the first being the ANZUS Conference) the Philippines have been excluded from a meeting of great interest to them and the President as well as Romulo had been placed in a very difficult position to answer the opposition. He stated that Mr. Foster had yesterday suggested to him that President Quirino announce that a meeting would be held in Manila on October 24 with Mr. Foster, Admiral Radford, Mr. Nash and Mr. Allison to discuss mutual defense problems. The Secretary stated that he thought this was a good idea and should do much to overcome Quirino's difficulties. Ambassador Romulo indicated that immediately on his arrival in New York this morning he would telephone Quirino and make this suggestion to him.
The Secretary stated that the interpretation put on the present military meetings in the Philippine press was of course erroneous and most unfortunate. All of us had been concerned for some time over what would happen in event of invasion of Southeast Asia and who would do what. The French were of course primarily responsible in Indo-China and the British in Malaya and because of their Commonwealth obligations, New Zealand and Australia were also directly concerned with the Malayan
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situation. We had had a meeting in Singapore in September, 1951, in an attempt to arrive at an intelligence appreciation of the situation. Then in January, 1952, we had talked about this subject at the military level but nothing had really come out of it. The present talk was just a continuation of the previous talks, and these were just one phase of the many discussions on all aspects of the defense of the area that it undoubtedly would be necessary to have with countries presently participating. We will also want to talk with the Philippines, with Japan and with others concerned.
The Ambassador appeared to understand and accept the situation and to be satisfied that the ability of Quirino to announce a meeting with Foster, Radford, Nash and Allison the latter part of this month would take care of the situation.
At the close of the conversation Ambassador Romulo made inquiry concerning our thinking on the five-power consultative group and expressed the view that it would be desirable and important to be able to say something about this before January. The Secretary stated that we had this very much in our minds and that it was one of the major matters which Mr. Allison was considering on his present trip.
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