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MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT May 6, 1947. On March 22, 1947 I left Manila for Washington having completed negotiating the basic agreements with the Philippine Government, the last of which, the Military Assistance Agreement, was signed on March 21, 1947. Having arranged to return home by the western ARCHIVES AND RECORDS route, I made stops in a number of countries and cities in Southeastern Asia, Asia, and Europe. Assisted by two members of the Embassy staff who were to return to the United States with me, I under- took a study in each of the countries we visited of the effect which our policy in the Philippines has had upon the general prestige of the United States and of the level of information available in those countries regarding the Philippines and Philippine-American relations. A considerable amount of incidental intelligence and resulting impressions were gained en route. One of my assistants in this study was Commander Julius C. Edelstein, USNR, who had for almost two years supervised the informational program of the United States