840.00/4–148
Minutes of the Sixth Meeting of the United
States–United Kingdom–Canada Security Conversations, Held at
Washington, April 1, 1948
Washington, April 1, 1948
top secret security information
Present were the conferees of the fifth meeting. Mr. Hickerson called the
meeting to order at 1545; adjourned it at 1730.
A new draft of the position paper under discussion
was introduced by Hickerson and examined in detail. An additional
paragraph had been added, delineating the area to be
covered by the agreement. It was agreed that this question
would require further work at a later [Page 72] date. Other alterations in the paper proceeded from
points raised at the previous meeting.
It was agreed that no further meetings were
necessary.
The State Department now has a position paper1 respecting the
formation of regional security arrangement in the North Atlantic Area.
The paper appears to be, and will be regarded as, a purely American
paper. Accomplishing the objectives of the paper will
require:
- 1.
- Approval first by Mr. Lovett and thereafter by Mr.
Marshall.
- 2.
- Concurrently, introduction of the paper into the NSC, which will probably be done
shortly by Mr. Butler (The paper as now written might well be
improved through subjection to NSC staff appraisal.
- 3.
- Approval by Mr. Forrestal, or by the top NSC, and thereafter by the
President.
- 4.
- The concurrence of a few Congressional leaders, including
Senator Vandenberg.2
- 5.
- Thereafter, implementation of the steps outlined in the paper
itself.
Hickerson was careful to impress Jebb with the idea that the paper as it
now stands represents only a concept of what is desired at the working
level, and that British expectations should be based on nothing more
than this.
It was generally agreed that a treaty should be
accomplished and as soon as possible, the optimum possibility being that
it might be accomplished prior to the end of the current session of
Congress. This would have much greater political effect than a mere
declaration of intent, no matter how strongly worded for Presidential
delivery.
[Enclosure]
top secret
[
Washington
, undated.]
Final Draft
The purpose of this paper is to recommend a course of action adequate
to give effect the declaration of March 17 by the President of
support for the free nations of Europe. The recommendations made
will require close consultation with political leaders of both
parties in order that whatever policy is formulated may be a truly
bipartisan American policy.
[Page 73]
recommendations
- 1.
- Diplomatic approaches to be made by the Government of the
United States to the signatories of the Five-Power Treaty signed
at Brussels on March 17, 1948 in order to secure their approval
to its extension in the manner outlined below and to inform them
of plans for the conclusion of a collective defense agreement
for the North Atlantic Area, details of which are given
below.
- 2.
- An immediate approach then to be made to Norway, Sweden,
Denmark and Iceland, and (if the Italian elections are over)
also to Italy, through diplomatic channels, by the United
States, United Kingdom and France, with the consent of Benelux, with the object of
explaining to them the scheme for a declaration by the President
on the lines of that recommended in paragraph 3 below, and of
ascertaining whether they would be prepared in such
circumstances to accede to the Five-Power Treaty in the near
future and to enter into negotiations for the North Atlantic
Defense Agreement.
- 3.
- The President to announce that invitations had been issued to
the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Denmark,
Iceland, The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Eire, Italy, and
Portugal (provided that secret inquiries had established the
fact that these countries would be prepared to accept the
invitations) to take part in a conference with a view to the
conclusion of a collective Defense Agreement for the North
Atlantic Area designed to give maximum effect, as between the
parties, to the provisions of the United Nations Charter. In his
statement the President would include a declaration of American
intention, in the light of the obligations assumed by the
signatories of the Five-Power Treaty and pending the conclusion
of the Defense Agreement, to consider an armed attack in the
North Atlantic Area against a signatory of the Five-Power Treaty
as an armed attack against the United States to be dealt with by
the United States in accordance with Article 51 of the United
Nations Charter. The declaration would state that the United
States would be disposed to extend similar support to any other
free democracy in Western Europe which acceded to the Five-Power
Treaty. If, as a result of the inquiries referred to in
paragraph 2 above, it appears that Norway, Sweden, Denmark,
Iceland, and Italy, or any of them, do not wish to accede to the
Five-Power Treaty at this stage, consideration would need to be
given, in the light of the views of the above states, to the
extension to them of some assurance of immediate support in case
of an armed attack against them which they resisted resolutely.
In any event, the declaration would be so phrased as to avoid
inviting aggression against any other free country in
Europe.
- 4.
- Simultaneously with this declaration an Anglo-American
declaration to be made to the effect that the two countries are
not prepared to countenance any attack on the political
independence or territorial integrity of Greece, Turkey, or
Iran, and that in the event of such an attack and pending the
possible negotiations of some general Middle Eastern security
system, they would feel bound fully to support these states
under Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations.
- 5.
- It is contemplated that the Defense Agreement referred to in
paragraph 3 above would contain the following main provisions:
-
a.
- Preamble combining some of the features of the
preambles to the Rio and Five-Power Treaties and making
it clear that the main object of the instrument would be
to preserve western civilization in the geographical
area covered by the agreement. The Preamble should also
refer to the desirability of the conclusion of further
defense agreements under Article 51 of the Charter of
the United Nations to the end that all free nations
should eventually be covered by such agreements.
-
b.
- Provision that each Party shall regard any action in
the area covered by the agreement, which it considers an
armed attack against any other Party, as an armed attack
against itself and that each Party accordingly
undertakes to assist in meeting the attack in the
exercise of the inherent right of individual or
collective self defense recognized by Article 51 of the
Charter.
-
c.
- Provision following the lines of Article III,
paragraph 2 of the Rio Treaty to the effect that, at the
request of the State or States directly attacked, and
until coordinated measures have been agreed upon, each
one of the Parties shall determine the immediate
measures which it will individually take in fulfillment
of the obligation contained in the preceding paragraph
and in accordance with the principle of mutual
solidarity.
-
d.
- Provision to the effect that action taken under the
agreement shall, as provided in Article 51 of the
Charter, be promptly reported to the Security Council
and cease when the Security Council shall have taken the
necessary steps to maintain or restore peace and
security.
-
e.
- Delineation of the area covered by the agreement to
include the continental territory in Europe or North
America of any Party and the islands in the North
Atlantic whether sovereign or belonging to any Party.
(This would include Spitzbergen and other Norwegian
Islands, Iceland, Greenland, Newfoundland and
Alaska.)
-
f.
- Provision for consultation between all the Parties in
the event of any Party considering that its territorial
integrity or political independence is threatened by
armed attack or indirect aggression in any part of the
world.
-
g.
- Provision for the establishment of such agencies as
may be necessary for effective implementation of the
agreement including the working out of plans for prompt
and effective action under b and
c above.
-
h.
- Duration of ten years, with automatic renewal for
five-year periods unless denounced.
- 6.
- When circumstances permit, Germany (or the three Western
Zones), Austria (or the three Western Zones) and Spain should be
invited to adhere to the Five-Power Treaty and to the Defense
Agreement for the North Atlantic Area. This objective, which should not be publicly disclosed, could
be provided for by a suitable accession clause in the Defense
Agreement.
- 7.
- Political and military conversations to be initiated forthwith
with the parties to the Five-Power Treaty with a view to
coordinating their military and other efforts and strengthening
their collective security.
