740.5/8–2450: Telegram
The United States Deputy Representative on the North Atlantic Council (Spofford) to the Secretary of State
Depto 68. Todep 40.1 Subject to any further comments and guidance from Department I intend to take following line concerning points in supplemental French memorandum of August 16 [17]2 as and when Alphand raises them (Depto 66). Would also welcome Paris comments. Numbers correspond to those in Paris telegram 852 August 17.
General
US fully shares French desire to make NATO most effective possible instrument for safeguarding and consolidating NAT community through integrated defense. As French member indicates, integrated defense involves ramifications of very far-reaching nature. While we [Page 247] recognize importance and urgency of evolving more effective means of ensuring common action, such means are not ends in themselves, and search for them must not be permitted to delay implementation of urgent concrete defense programs.
- 1.
- US welcomes French decision to activate 15 new divisions. None of our efforts can achieve maximum effectiveness unless they are integrated both in plan and execution.
- 2.
- Totalitarian organization both within and among potential aggressor nations greatly increases their power. US agrees free world cannot hope to deal successfully with that threat by disparate national efforts and that maximum unity in NATO is clearly essential. Free nations by their nature must seek such unity through democratic processes of voluntary agreement both domestically and in their relations with each other. This does not preclude effective organizational authority. They have in past proved capable of achieving effective unity when in peril and voluntary basis of such unity has proved stronger than totalitarian organization.
- 3.
- US agrees that NAT nations cannot afford to wait, as in the past, for acute wartime crisis before developing means for ensuring effective common action.
- 4.
- Such common action must and will serve primary purpose of treaty to prevent war. This primary purpose must always be borne in mind, made clear to public, and reflected in political decisions.
- 5.
- Question of unity of command would require consideration at top governmental level in light of advice from competent military authorities. US agrees NATO military agencies should be requested forthwith to make recommendations concerning both (1) question of unity of command, and (2) staff requirements of standing group. NATO command or staff activities could cover areas as might be agreed up to limit of NAT area but could not properly extend beyond. US would favor asking standing group, in consultation with Brussels Pact representatives, to recommend steps to avoid duplication and accelerate unity.
- 6.
- Centralization and management of “greatest part of means allotted by each country to defense needs,” raises very far-reaching questions. US agrees questions as to means of ensuring effective use of available resources in common cause and effective common action in fields mentioned in paragraph 6 should be actively studied from point of view of achieving maximum integration of North Atlantic defense. Such study, however, must not be permitted to delay urgent implementation of budgetary, production or forces programs now being formulated. These considerations apply equally to question of “joint budget” (paragraph 7).
- 8.
- [sic] Whether or not it would be desirable to set up executive body or bodies to deal with wide range of political, military and economic questions mentioned in paragraph 6, and what character and functions of such bodies might be, could only be determined through study of means of assuring effective common action upon them.
- 9.
- US interest in trade liberalization and development of economic cooperation well-known and we believe common action in defense field should encourage common action in economic field.
- 10.
- US fully agrees on necessity of maintaining and strengthening economic bases of participating countries but considers suggested monetary agreement beyond scope of deputies, functions.
- 11.
- US fully agrees consideration of such far-reaching organizational questions as those raised by French Government must not delay urgent efforts each government able to make. It accordingly trusts each government will proceed urgently to implement current programs at its own expense while methods of ensuring equitable allocations of burdens are being evolved.3
Sent Department Depto 68, repeated Paris 305.