Foreign Relations of the United States, 1948, Western Europe, Volume III

840.00/3–2348

Report Prepared by the Policy Planning Staff Concerning Western Union and Related Problems¹

secret

[Washington,] March 23, 1948.

[PPS 27]

The Problem: The Position of the United States with respect to Western Union and related problems.

Definition

Western Union, for the purposes of this paper, is the organization created by the treaty signed March 17, 1948, at Brussels which includes as charter members France, Great Britain, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg.

Primary Assumptions

A. Our objective is to strengthen the determination of the free nations to resist the aggression of Soviet-directed world Communism, to increase their confidence that they can successfully do so, and to confront the Soviet Union with sufficient organized force to deter it from attempting further aggression.

B. Fear of Soviet-Communist aggression is sufficiently strong that many of the free nations of Europe are willing to cooperate in close association, provided they are assured of military support by the United States.

C. This assurance should be predicated upon resolute action by them and should take the form of a firm commitment to extend military and other support (in the President’s words to Congress on March 17 “the support which the situation requires”) but leave maximum freedom of method compatible with effective assurance of reciprocal support from them.

Recommendations

1. We should not now participate as a full member in Western Union but should give it assurance of armed support.

2. We should press for the immediate inclusion in Western Union of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Iceland, with Portugal to follow speedily thereafter.

3. We should suggest the extension by Western Union of an invitation to Italy, after further exploration with de Gasperi whether extension of such an invitation prior to the Italian elections on April 18 Would be of assistance to him in the election campaign. (The President has approved an NSC paper² on Italy providing for action for the immediate inclusion of Italy in Western Union.)

4. We should encourage Western Union eventually to include Eire, Switzerland, Germany, Spain and Austria; and to deepen its cooperation in all of the aspects foreseen in its Charter, economic and cultural, as well as military.

5. It may thus serve as the core of an eventual close working association of states in which we, as the most powerful nation in the Atlantic and Western cultural community, may ultimately find it advisable to participate as a close associate or member.

6. The President’s declaration of March 17 to Congress that “the U.S. will extend to the free nations the support which the situation requires” should be followed up as speedily as possible by:

(a) An immediate assurance through diplomatic channels to the nations in Western Union that, in the light of their commitment to extend to any party to their agreement who may be the object of attack in Europe all the military and other aid in their power, temporarily and pending the conclusion of a mutual defense agreement along the lines of (d) below, the U.S. will consider armed attack against them to constitute armed attack against the U.S. to be dealt with by the U.S. in accordance with Article 51 of the U.N. Charter. This assurance should include a declaration of willingness to consider whether a given case of indirect aggression should be deemed armed attack.

(b) An immediate assurance through the diplomatic channel to the other free nations of Europe and the Middle East that, in the event they become the objects of armed attack, temporarily and pending the conclusion of a mutual defense agreement along the lines of (d) below, the United States will consider armed attack against them to constitute armed attack against the United States, provided that they defend themselves with every resource at their command.

(c) Initiation of political and military conversations with members of Western Union and other selected non-Communist states with a view to coordinating military, informational and other anti-Communist efforts and strengthening their military potential.

(d) A mutual defense agreement under the Charter of the United Nations. This agreement should:

(1) Include as parties the present Western Union countries and the other free nations of Europe and the Middle East who may wish to adhere.

(2) Provide that at the request of any one of the Parties, the Contracting Parties shall consult as to whether armed attack is threatened and as to the best measures to be taken to meet the threat.

(3) Provide that an armed attack against any one of the parties shall be considered as an attack against all of them and that each of the contracting parties agrees to take armed action against the aggressor in the exercise of the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense recognized by Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.

(4) Provide that, in case of an indirect aggression against any one of them, the contracting parties will consult as to the necessary assistance to be given to preserve the territorial integrity and political independence of the threatened party and that, if any one of them be attacked in the course of extending such assistance, the several parties will regard such an attack as an attack against all of them. Indirect aggression should be defined as an internal coup d’état or political change favorable to an aggressor, or the use of force within the territory of a State against its Government by any persons under direction or instigation of another government or external agency other than the United Nations.

(5) Provide that each contracting party shall determine for itself whether there has occurred an armed attack within the meaning of this agreement.

(6) Provide that upon determination that an armed attack within the meaning of the agreement has occurred the parties shall consult immediately for the coordination of the measures to be taken.

(7) Remain in effect for 10 years and be automatically renewed unless denounced.

1. This report was transmitted to the National Security Council by Secretary Marshall in his letter dated March 24, 1948, addressed to Sidney’ W. Souers, Executive Secretary, NSC (840.00/4–648). Letter not found in Department of State files.
2. National Security Council paper NSC 1/3, “Position of the United States with respect to Italy in the Light of the Possibility of Communist Participation in the Government by Legal Means.” The conclusions of this paper were approved by President Truman on March 15, 1948. For text, see p. 775.