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(Synopsis A, page 6)
criticisms that were being made at the time regarding US policy toward
China. DGA spoke of how the accusation that the State Department has
TRUMAN
NATIONAL get
no Asian policy "discloses such a depth of ignorance that it is very
ANCHOSEON
hard to begin to deal with it,' of how "much to the bewildermint which
has seized the minds of many of us about recent developments in China
Es
SERVICE'
comes from a failure to understand. (the) basic revolutionary force
which is loose in Asia.'
The following paragraphs dealt with the controversial defense perimeter:
"What is the situation in regard to the military security of the
Pacific area and what is our policy in regard to it?
"In the first place, the defeat and disarmament of Japan has placed
upon the US the necessity of assuming the military defense of Japan
so long as that is r equired, both in the interest of our security and
in the interests of the security of the entire Pacific area and in
all honor in the interest of Japanese security. We have American
and there are Australian troops in Japan. I am not in a position fo
speak for the Australians but I can assure you that there is no in-
tention of any sort of abandoning or weakening the defenses of Japan
and that whatever arrangements are to be made, either through permanent
settlement or otherwise, that defense must and shall be maintained.
"This defensive perimeter runs along the Aleutians to Japan and then
goes to the Ryukyus. We hold important defense positions in the
Ryukyu Islands and these we will continue to hold. In the interest
of the polulation of the Ryukyu Islands, we will at an appropriate
time offer to hold these islands under trusteeship of the UN. But
they are essential parts of the defensive perimeter of the Pacific
and they must and will be held.
"The defensive perimeter runs from the Ryukyus to the Philippine
Islands. Our relations, our defensive relations wi th the Philippines,
are contained in agreements between us. Those agreements are being
loyally carried out and will be loyally carried out. Both peoples
have learned by bitter experience the vital connections between our
mutual defense requirements. We are in no doubt about that and it is
hardly necessary for me to say an attack on the Philippines could
not and would not be tolerated by the US. But I hasten to add that
no one perceives the imminence of any such attack.
"So far as the military security of other areas in the Pacific is
concerned, it must be clear that no person can guarantee these areas
against military attack. But it must also be clear that such a
guaranty is hardly sensible or necessary within the realm of practical
relationship.
"Should such an attack occur---one hesitates to say where such an
armed attack could come from---the initial reliance must be on the
people attacked to resist it and them upon the ommitments of the
entire civilized world under the Charter of the UN which so far has
not proved a weak reed to lean on by any people who are determined
to protect their independence against outside aggression."
DGA then went on to warn that it would be a mistake "to become
obsessed with military considerations. " He pointed out that other
problems arising out of the 'susceptibility of many areas and many
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"ocrText": "(Synopsis A, page 6)\ncriticisms that were being made at the time regarding US policy toward\nChina. DGA spoke of how the accusation that the State Department has\nTRUMAN\nNATIONAL get\nno Asian policy \"discloses such a depth of ignorance that it is very\nANCHOSEON\nhard to begin to deal with it,' of how \"much to the bewildermint which\nhas seized the minds of many of us about recent developments in China\nEs\nSERVICE'\ncomes from a failure to understand. (the) basic revolutionary force\nwhich is loose in Asia.'\nThe following paragraphs dealt with the controversial defense perimeter:\n\"What is the situation in regard to the military security of the\nPacific area and what is our policy in regard to it?\n\"In the first place, the defeat and disarmament of Japan has placed\nupon the US the necessity of assuming the military defense of Japan\nso long as that is r equired, both in the interest of our security and\nin the interests of the security of the entire Pacific area and in\nall honor in the interest of Japanese security. We have American\nand there are Australian troops in Japan. I am not in a position fo\nspeak for the Australians but I can assure you that there is no in-\ntention of any sort of abandoning or weakening the defenses of Japan\nand that whatever arrangements are to be made, either through permanent\nsettlement or otherwise, that defense must and shall be maintained.\n\"This defensive perimeter runs along the Aleutians to Japan and then\ngoes to the Ryukyus. We hold important defense positions in the\nRyukyu Islands and these we will continue to hold. In the interest\nof the polulation of the Ryukyu Islands, we will at an appropriate\ntime offer to hold these islands under trusteeship of the UN. But\nthey are essential parts of the defensive perimeter of the Pacific\nand they must and will be held.\n\"The defensive perimeter runs from the Ryukyus to the Philippine\nIslands. Our relations, our defensive relations wi th the Philippines,\nare contained in agreements between us. Those agreements are being\nloyally carried out and will be loyally carried out. Both peoples\nhave learned by bitter experience the vital connections between our\nmutual defense requirements. We are in no doubt about that and it is\nhardly necessary for me to say an attack on the Philippines could\nnot and would not be tolerated by the US. But I hasten to add that\nno one perceives the imminence of any such attack.\n\"So far as the military security of other areas in the Pacific is\nconcerned, it must be clear that no person can guarantee these areas\nagainst military attack. But it must also be clear that such a\nguaranty is hardly sensible or necessary within the realm of practical\nrelationship.\n\"Should such an attack occur---one hesitates to say where such an\narmed attack could come from---the initial reliance must be on the\npeople attacked to resist it and them upon the ommitments of the\nentire civilized world under the Charter of the UN which so far has\nnot proved a weak reed to lean on by any people who are determined\nto protect their independence against outside aggression.\"\nDGA then went on to warn that it would be a mistake \"to become\nobsessed with military considerations. \" He pointed out that other\nproblems arising out of the 'susceptibility of many areas and many"
}