840.00/3–2448
Minutes of the Third Meeting of the United States–United Kingdom–Canada Security Conversations, Held at Washington, March 24, 1948
Present were the conferees of the second meeting with the exception of Wright (Canada) and with the addition of Ambassador Wrong (Canada). Hickerson called the meeting to order at 1000, adjourned it after lunch until 1600, at which time a second meeting was held until 1810. In the interim a drafting committee, consisting of Achilles (US), Jebb (UK) and Pearson (Canada), produced the paper of which two copies are attached.1
The draft paper was approved for reference to the Ambassadors and as the basis for discussion at a plenary meeting 25 March.
The paper (untitled and undated) is in the form of a unilateral US document, purpose of which is to give effect to the President’s 17 March declaration of support for the free nations of Europe, and the recommendations of which will require consultation with US political leaders to assure full bi-partisan support.
Objective is a Security Pact for the North Atlantic Area, plus an extension of the Brussels agreement. The US would be a member of the North Atlantic Pact along with all nations bordering the North Atlantic (including Iceland) and Italy, except that Spain would not be immediately eligible. Italy would be invited to join at once if De Gasperi, in terms of Italian domestic conditions, desired such an invition. The way would be left open for accession later by Western Germany, Austria and Spain.
After obtaining the approval of all the Brussels signatories approaches would be made to the Scandinavian states to obtain their adherence to Brussels, the quid pro quo being the promise that the US would immediately issue security guarantees to all Brussels signatories pending the conclusion of a wider North Atlantic Pact. (Action would go forward thereafter whether Sweden acquiesced or not.)
Thereafter, the President would make a public statement giving assurances, with simultaneous invitations to a North Atlantic Pact conference. Simultaneous assurances to [of] support to Greece, Iran [Page 67] and Turkey would be given jointly by the US and UK (and France, possibly).
Basis for the Pact would be Article 51 of the Charter.
Reason for the “North Atlantic” restriction is to prevent efforts of Latin America, Australia, etc., to adhere, which would make the arrangement unwieldy, especially as none of these are now directly threatened by Soviet Communism. The suggestion would be made that all free nations should eventually be covered by regional security pacts, to the ultimate end that Article 51 security arrangements would be obtained for all free nations.