THE SOUTHEAST ASIA COLLECTIVE DEFENSE TREATY DEC HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS EIGHTY-THIRD CONGRESS SECOND SESSION ON Executive K, 83d Congress, 2d Session THE SOUTHEAST ASIA COLLECTIVE DEFENSE. TREATY PART 1 54804 NOVEMBER 11, 1954 Printed for the use of the Committee on Foreign Relations UNITED STATES WASHINGTON: 1954 COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS ALEXANDER WILEY, Wisconsin, Chairman H. ALEXANDER SMITH, New Jersey WALTER F. GEORGE, Georgia HUBERT H. HUMPHREY, Minnesota FRANCIS O. WILCOX, Chief of Staff JULIUS N. CAHN, Counsel PAT M. HOLT, Consultant ALWYN V. FREEMAN, Consultant C. C. O'DAY, Chief Clerk JUNE C. PITTS, Assistant Clerk II CONTENTS Page THE SOUTHEAST ASIA COLLECTIVE DEFENSE TREATY THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1954 UNITED STATES SENATE, COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS, Washington, D. C. The committee met, pursuant to call, at 9:30 a. m., in the Caucus Room, Senate Office Building, Senator Alexander Wiley (chairman) presiding. Present: Senators Wiley, Smith of New Jersey, Hickenlooper, Langer, Ferguson, Knowland, Aiken, Capehart, Green, Fulbright, Sparkman, Gillette, and Mansfield. The CHAIRMAN. We are meeting here today to give consideration to the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty and the protocol thereto, which were signed at Manila on September 8, 1954. (The Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty and the protocol thereto, together with communications, are as follows:) [Ex. K, 83d Cong., 2d sess.] MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, TRANSMITTING THE SOUTHEAST ASIA COLLECTIVE DEFENSE TREATY AND THE PROTOCOL THERETO, BOTH SIGNED AT MANILA ON SEPTEMBER 8, 1954 To the Senate of the United States: THE WHITE HOUSE, With a view to receiving the advice and consent of the Senate to ratification, I transmit herewith a copy of the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty and the protocol thereto, both signed at Manila on September 8, 1954. I transmit also for the information of the Senate a copy of a declaration known as the Pacific Charter, which was drawn up at Manila and signed on that same date. The charter proclaims the dedication of the signatory governments to the ideals of self-determination, self-government, and independence. It is a declaration of principles and does not require the advice and consent of the Senate. There is further transmitted for the information of the Senate the report made to me by the Secretary of State regarding the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty and the protocol thereto. I concur in the recommendation of the Secretary that the "unanimous agreement" required by article IV, paragraph 1, for the designation of states or territories, by article VII for the invitation to states to accede to the treaty, and by article VIII for a change in the treaty area is to be understood in each instance as requiring the advice and consent of the Senate. The treaty is designed to promote security and peace in Southeast Asia and the Southwestern Pacific by deterring Communist and other aggression in that area. It is a treaty for defense against both open armed attack and internal subversion. Included in the treaty is an understanding on behalf of the United States that the only armed attack in the treaty area which the United States would regard as necessarily dangerous to our peace and security would be a Communist armed attack. The treaty calls for economic cooperation to enable the free countries of this area to gain strength and vigor not only militarily but also socially and economically. 1 |