Executive Secretariat Files, Lot 63–D351
Memorandum Prepared in the Department of State1
The Position of the United States With Respect to the Use of Military Power in Greece
discussion
The following NSC study2 on the above subject has the concurrence of Mr. Kennan, Mr. Henderson and Mr. Hickerson. Mr. Sandifer3 (UNA) concurs in the paper with the exception of one sentence of Paragraph 5, Page 3. That sentence reads:
“Further, the State Department representatives believe there would be no appreciable adverse reaction within the UN or throughout the world other than from Communist dominated or border line states to the uses of US military power as envisaged in para. 8 c.”
UNA believes that there would be adverse reaction within the United Nations to certain of the uses of United States military power enumerated in paragraph 8 c, specifically, the dispatch of a token armed force to Greece or the employment in Greece of available [Page 100] United States armed forces to take such action as is necessary to assist in preventing Communist domination of Greece, unless such action were taken in furtherance of a resolution of the Security Council or the General Assembly.
UNA recommends that the sentence be changed to read:
“State Department representatives believe that there would be appreciable adverse reaction within the UN to the uses of U.S. military power as envisaged in clauses (1) and (2) of para. 8 c, unless such action were taken with the approval of the General Assembly or the Security Council or otherwise in accordance with the UN Charter.”
recommendation
That you approve the paper to include UNA’s recommended change.