840.20/4–249: Telegram
The Secretary of State to Certain Diplomatic Offices 1
us urgent
President’s speech Apr. 4 at ceremony of signing Atlantic Pact will contain following passage designed to endorse and emphasize recent statements by SecState on Greece, Turkey and Iran:
“The Pact will be a positive, not a negative, influence for peace, and its influence will be felt not only in the area it specifically covers but throughout the world. Its conclusion does not mean a narrowing of the interests of its members. Under my authority and instructions, the Secy of State has recently made it abundantly clear that the adherence of the US to this Pact does not signify a lessening of Amer concern for the security and welfare of other areas, such as the Near East. The step we are taking today shld serve to reassure peace-loving peoples everywhere and pave the way for the world-wide stability and peaceful development which we all seek.”
Dept informing GTI Ambs today.
In agreement with Brit Govt it has been decided not to issue further statement or declaration on GTI at this time and we are so advising Ambs concerned, explaining decision on following basis:
- (a)
- Although our statements have not taken the form which we originally contemplated, we consider that the remarks made by Mr. Acheson and Mr. Bevin on Mar. 18 and Mar. 232 shld have achieved the purpose we had in mind of putting the Sov Union on notice and reassuring the peoples of the countries concerned of our continued interest in their security.
- (b)
- Anything further that we wld feel able to say at the present time wld be largely a repetition of what we have already said. To go beyond this wld amount to an extension of the Atlantic Pact to other areas, which is something we have already explained we are not prepared to do as yet.
- (c)
- We intend to continue to follow the situation with the closest attn and will be glad to consider appropriate steps if it develops that what has already been done is insufficient to prevent increased Sov pressure on the countries in question.
We hope Greek, Turkish and Iran Govts will refrain from public indications of disappointment at absence formal signed declaration, since such attitude of disappointment wld weaken effect of President’s [Page 271] statement and previous statements by Acheson and Bevin and thus create appearance exclusion their countries from security plans Western powers, which is exactly what they shld desire avoid. Conversely, public emphasis on important statement this kind by President on such occasion shld serve counteract any possible disappointment at exclusion from Atlantic Pact or other formal commitment by US.
Athens, Ankara, and Tehran may convey foregoing to Govts to which accredited.
- Sent to the missions in Greece, Turkey, and Iran for action and to the missions in the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union for their information.↩
- For text of radio address by Acheson on March 18, see Department of State Bulletin, March 27, 1949, “The Meaning of the North Atlantic Pact,” pp. 384 ff. For statement by Bevin in the British House of Commons, also March 18, see Parliamentary Debates, House of Commons, 5th series, vol. 462, p. 2533. Mr. Acheson, in a press statement released March 23, reiterated the points made in his address of March 18 regarding Greece, Turkey, and Iran.↩