Memorandum of Conversation with David McNicol and U. Alexis Johnson

NLT (KOREA/SD) 559 TOP SECRET SECURITY INFORMATION Copy / of 7 copies DEPARTMENT OF STATE Memorandum of Conversation DATE:December 22, 1951 SUBJECT: Sixteen-Nation Statement on Korea PARTICIPANTS: Mr. David W. McNicol, First Secretary, Australian Embassy Mr. U. Alexis Johnson, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Far Eastern Affairs COPIES TO: S/S DECLASSIFIED G C Authority FRUS 1951 Vol. EUR 19.0418-14 UNA By DEB NLT Date 8-5-95 FE ship 1-1493 Mr. McNicol called on me this morning and gave to me orally the N substance of a message on the above subject which the Embassy had just received from Canberra, as follows: "On the basis that a statement is to be issued, it could accept a statement of the nature of our draft". Their concurrence with the statement is based on the following understanding: (a) "Further discussions to be held on the nature of the action to be taken in the event of a fresh aggression in Korea. Pending agreement on such action, the Australian Government in joining in it is not hereby committed to any particular form of military or economic action, that is, bombing in China and the blockade". (b) "Statement does not constitute a commitment on the part of Australia to provide any definite form of assistance." The message also raised the question of the unlimited nature of the statement in terms of time, as well as whether in the event of renewed aggression by North Korea only, with no overt assistance from China, the Republic of Korea would consider that the statement con- stituted a commitment on the part of the participating countries to initiate hostilities against China. And In C46863 allergy Rev TOP SECRET SECURITY INFORMATION* Cat.