490.008/4–2152
The British Embassy to the
Department of State
top secret
11923/6/52G
Aide-Mémoire
Reference is made to the State Department’s Aide-Mémoire dated December 20th, 1951,1 on the subject of the United
Kingdom’s recommendations for action to suppress contraband arms traffic in
South East Asia.
- 2.
- In this Aide-Mémoire it was stated that the
Government of the United States would be glad to give consideration to
detailed proposals for an approach on this subject to other members of
the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (N.A.T.O.), the Commonwealth countries which are not members
of the N.A.T.O., and to the Governments
of Switzerland and Sweden.
- 3.
- As regards the other members of the N.A.T.O., there is annexed a draft memorandum setting forth
the lines on which this question might, in Her Majesty’s Government’s
view, profitably be handled by the N.A.T.O. This memorandum is in the form of an Anglo-United
States-French submission which might, if convenient, be made to the
Council of the N.A.T.O.
- 4.
- As regards the question of non-Commonwealth countries outside the
N.A.T.O., notably Switzerland and
Sweden, Her Majesty’s Government propose the following procedure:
The United Kingdom, United States and French Governments should
exchange or furnish all information available to them about
proposed shipments of arms and military equipment to South East
Asia from either Switzerland or Sweden—or from any other
non-N.A.T.O.,
non-Commonwealth countries—and agree to make joint
representations to the country concerned where it is their
common view that the proposed arms shipment is undesirable or
excessive. The United Kingdom Government would propose, when the
procedure is agreed, to make a suitable approach to the
non-N.A.T.O. countries of
the Commonwealth.
- 5.
- Her Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom would be glad to know
the views of the United States Government on the foregoing proposals and
on the draft memorandum referred to in paragraph 3 above and annexed to
this Aide-Mémoire.
Washington, 21st April,
1952.
[Page 79]
[Annex]
Arms Supplies for South-East Asia
The Governments of the United Kingdom, United States and France are
impressed by the dangers inherent in an uncontrolled traffic in arms and
military equipment in, and into, South-East Asia.
- 2.
- Part of this traffic is illicit, notably the supply of arms and
equipment by the Chinese People’s Governement to insurgent groups in
the Associate States of Indo-China and in Burma. There is also some
small amount of arms smuggling among the countries of South-East
Asia. By far the greater part of the South-East Asian arms traffic
consists, however, in orders placed by South-East Asian Governments
with the “Western” nations.
- 3.
- It is natural that the newly emerged Governments of South-East
Asia should wish to see themselves fully equipped militarily and
should be tempted, under current conditions when Western rearmament
threatens a growing stringency in arms supplies, to accumulate
stockpiles of arms, ammunition and military equipment. This trend is
nevertheless dangerous, both because of the competition thus offered
to Western re-armament and because of the risk that in the
conditions of local insecurity which exist in some South-East Asian
countries such stocks of arms may fall into the hands of rebels
seeking to undermine the government, or into the hands of
smugglers—e.g. from Thailand and Indonesia into Malaya.
- 4.
- It is therefore important that the Western Nations should
cooperate to ensure that only such quantities and types of arms,
ammunition and military equipment reach South-East Asian countries
as can be regarded as necessary to ensure the internal security of
the country concerned and to equip its armed forces in a manner
appropriate to the stage of development attained by the
latter.
- 5.
- In the view of the United Kingdom, United States and French
Governments, this objective can best be achieved by action on the
following lines:—
- (a)
- All members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
should agree to inform the Military Representatives
Committee immediately any request for the supply of arms,
ammunition or other military equipment is received from any
of the following governments: Burma, Thailand, Indonesia,
Philippines.
- (b)
- It should be the responsibility of each member of the
Military Representatives Committee to report to his own
government any such information communicated to the
Committee, it being understood that if any government
represented on the Committee wishes to express views on the
proposed transaction it will do so within one month of the
original communication of the information to the
Committee.
- (c)
- Any comments which other governments may have on the
proposed transaction should be communicated in the first
instance to the Military Representatives Committee where the
representative of the government concerned in the
transaction should—if necessary after consulting his
government—inform the Committee whether these comments are
accepted.
- (d)
- Comment in the Military Representatives Committee will be
in no sense binding on the government concerned in the
transaction. But, if that government is unable to accept
such comment, this should be made clear to the Committee, it
being then left to the governments concerned to pursue the
matter directly should they so desire.
