Evening star., 1951-04-22
For Security in the Pacific

The free worlds security in the Far Pacific
viii be strengthened by the treaties scheduled to
be negotiated between our own country and
Australia and New Zealand. As indicated by
President Truman's announcement on the sub
ject, the negotiations will, be conducted more or
less simultaneously with those aimed at working
out peace settlement for Japan. The obvious
overall objective is to lay the groundwork for
an effective defensive system against the threat
OF Asia-based Communist aggression.
Tt is not surprising that the suggestion for
the projected treaties came originally from Aus
tralia and New Zealand. Owing to their geo.
graphical position and their past experience,
both are naturally sensitive to the fact that the
settlement proposed for Japan emissions limited
rearmament for the Japanese. This Sensitivity
is one Of the reasons why the two countries have
asked the United States for special arrangements
designed to enhance their own long term security
together with that of the Pacific area as whole.
Accordingly, as Mr.. Truman has explained
in his announcement, Secretary of State Ache
son, Defense Secretary Marshall and John Foster
Dulles-who heads the Presidents mission on
Japanese treaty-have been instructed to move
ahead toward negotiations with Australia and
New Zealand. The contemplated arrangements
which already have been informally discussed
with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
and the House Foreign Affairs Committee-woul
take the form of mutual assistance pacts under
which the three signatories would consider an
armed attack on any one of them in the
Pacific as an attack upon all, and hence some
thing to be countered by joint action.
In effect what all this amounts to is
small-scale application of the Atlantic Pact's
principles to the Pacific area Thus under the
proposed arrangements, Australia and New Zea-
land would be linked with the United States in
defensive front fortified primarily by American
forces positioned-at least Professionally and
about Japan, the Philippines and other strategic
points facing the ASiatic mainland. In the words
of the Presidents statement, the building up Of
this front will help to strengthen the fabric of
peace" throughout that whole region of ocean
and islands, where security is strongly infiu-
enced by sea and air power"
OF course to be equal in scope to the Atlantic
Pact, system of collective security in the Pacific
would have to embrace at least parts Of
Southeast Asia as well as Japan, the Philippines
Australia New Zealand and other countries off
the mainland Right now, however, numerous
factors initiate against the speedy formation
of such an allinclusive project and so it is nee
essary to build gradually and on limited scale,
but in way that will make possible steady
expansion as time goes on
Such expansion will be promoted by mutual
assistance pacts between us and Australia and
New Zealand. As the President has said, the pro-
jected negotiations constitute natural initial
steps in the consolidation" of the free worlds
strength and security in the Pacific. setup as
thoroughgoing as the Atlantic Pact still seems
far off, but we and nke-ninded nations are at
least beginning to move in the right direction to-
ward effective collective defense against the Red
totalitarians in Asia.