Memorandum of Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson, Prime Minister of Australia Robert Menzies, Ambassador of Australia Sir Percy Spender, Alan Watt, George W. Perkins, John Allison, G. Hayden Raynor, and Willard Thorp
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OCR Page 1 of 7SECORITY ENFORMATION
5559
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
110
171
Memorandum of Conversation
May 19
DATE:
May 20,1952
SUBJECT:
General Discussion with Prime Minister Menzies of Australia
PARTICIPANTS: Prime Minister Menzies
Ambassador Spender
Mr. Alan Watt, Secretary, Department of External Affairs
The Secretary
Mr. Perkins, EUR
Mr. Allison, FE
Mr. Thorp, E (first part meeting)
Mr. Raynor, BNA
COPIES TO:
G
BNA
EUR
RA
NEA - Mr. Berry
Embassy Canberra
FE - Mr. Allison
Embassy London
E - Mr. Thorp
U. s. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
16-61120-1
I asked the Prime Minister what subject he would like to discuss
first and he said he would start with NATO.
NATO
He said he understood that because of geographical factors Australia
could not be a member of NATO and that he did not request membership.
He did say, however, that he felt decisions taken by NATO had a direct
effect on Australia and that therefore Australia had a very real interest
in the activity of NATO. He said that Australia, in this field, really
wanted two things: (a) some access to the thinking and doing of NATO
and (b) some right to offer views to NATO on matters directly affecting
Australian interests.
Australian Military Supply Requirements
The Prime Minister then said he wanted to tell me what his country
was up against in trying to put itself in a position to make a contri-
bution in the event of war. He said the Australian problem was not
primarily that of the defense of Australia. He said he realized it was
unlikely that Australia would be directly attacked; at least in the
initial
DECLASSIFIED
STATE DEPT, CTR. 5.5t3 SEORET SUCURTTY IMPORMATION
Project NLT f2.4
By NLT- HC NARS, Date 6-15-13
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