790.5/2–2550: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Embassy in Australia 1
34. Urtel 53 Feb 24. US position remains essentially unchanged, i.e., it will watch with greatest sympathy development of association of Asiatic and Pacific countries designed to increase cultural, economic, and general cooperation in the area but that to have any durable value such an assn must have firm roots and indigenous motivation. [Page 27] What ultimate relation US would have to any such organization would naturally be impossible to forecast.
US not in position to press Australian Govt in matter but it has no desire discourage Australian participation and suggests you point out that only by exploratory talks among powers concerned in a meeting such as Baguio will it be possible to ascertain possibilities inherent in Phil or analagous proposal. Moreover, participation in first or early meetings by Australia would enable it to influence course of development and of course carry right to withdrawal without commitment in event it were out of sympathy with trend.
Australians will undoubtedly wonder why US interest in the favorable disposition toward Phil proposal has increased in late weeks. (Lacy conversation with Australian Embassy.2) Forurinfo you shld know that Dept considers development of regional coalition SEA more important to its future plans than it has in the past. Approved NSC policy states US shld make known its sympathy with efforts of Asiatic states to form regional associations along lines envisioned by Romulo proposal.3 Participation by such states as Australia and New Zealand wld have obvious advantage of ensuring pro-western orientations of any resulting associations.
- Repeated to Manila as telegram 325.↩
- The memorandum of the Lacy-Davis conversation of February 22 is not printed.↩
- Reference is to paragraph 3a. of NSC 48/2, “The Position of the United States with Respect to Asia.” December 30, 1949. For text, see Foreign Relations, 1949, vol. vii, Part 2, p. 1215.↩