796.00/11–2453: Telegram
No. 345
The Ambassador in the Philippines
(Spruance) to the Department of State
1181. Eyes only for Secretary from Ambassador. Your 13601 shown Vice President.2 I greatly appreciate your first paragraph. All of us in Embassy and Vice President in complete accord remainder your message. It is our opinion United States must do everything possible make Magsaysay’s administration success. After he has achieved such success domestically and so has prevented any substantial reduction in his current prestige and popularity with mass of Filipino people, he should assume natural position of leadership in Southeast Asia, perhaps in Formosa, Korea.
There appears to be developing rift in coalition between Nacionalistas and Democrats. Certain elements in both parties favor a merger, while others within each party apparently desire to take over government including Magsaysay. I do not believe Magsaysay will be taken over by any group in either party so far as choice of his executive officials are concerned. Control of Senate and House is different proposition, however, which he recognizes as most important.
… I have talked to Magsaysay about appointment of Foreign Secretary. … He has made no decision yet, but said he had been considering Garcia, his Vice President, for post. Garcia is fine honest man, a lawyer, but without any qualifications for position. …
Vice President Nixon thinks Magsaysay combines two qualities needed for leadership in Asia: (a) magnetic appeal to all classes of people, (b) genuine regard for the people’s welfare.
He was impressed by Magsaysay’s absence of any racial feeling and his undisguised friendship for United States. He believes RM has six to nine months hard work to set his own house in order and in meantime we should begin necessary preparatory work in Southeast Asia; that he should not tour area but that representatives on Prime Minister level should come to Manila; that he should delay visit to Washington until he can in address to joint session of Congress point to two concrete accomplishments of (a) [Page 566] improvement in political and economic organization in Philippines, and (b) convocation in Manila of Southeast Asia representatives.3 Vice President feels United States must not allow Magsaysay to fail . … RM’s campaign program for wells for barrio water supply would be such an accomplishment if we can push it through.4
Vice President’s visit great success, will be reported separately.5
- Supra.↩
- Vice President Richard M. Nixon visited the Philippines in the course of a lengthy Asian trip in late 1953; for text of his report broadcast to the nation on radio and television, see Department of State Bulletin, Jan. 4, 1954, p. 10.↩
- In the source text, next to this and the preceding sentence a marginal notation by Dulles reads: “I agree with this”.↩
- Attached to the file copy was a handwritten note by Assistant Secretary for Far Eastern Affairs Walter S. Robertson which reads: “This was marked for action by me—I don’t think it needs any”.↩
- Telegram not printed.↩