20 December 1950: Draft Aide-Memoire

This draft aide-memoire, intended as a reply to a US circular communication, outlines Canada’s preferred course of action moving forward. Reid’s covering letter highlights the Canadian government's desire to rein in the perceived hardline policies of the United States. In this regard, Canada is in agreement with the United Kingdom and New Zealand. While the aide-mémoire supports mobilization, it determines the “paramount consideration” to be the “necessity of doing nothing which might increase the danger of the Soviet Union precipitating a general war.” As a result, the aide-mémoire proposes that the UN continue to refrain from naming China as an aggressor, and leaving the door open to negotiations with the Chinese government until “the last possible moment.”