Foreign Relations of the United States, 1950, Western Europe, Volume III

CFM Flies: Lot M–88: Box 152: SFM Document 1–40

Draft Resolution for the North Atlantic Council¹

top secret

New York, September 13, 1950.

Document 22

The Council:

mindful that the increased urgency of the situation requires, beyond those steps already taken by member governments, still greater and more energetic action to increase the forces in being for the defense of freedom in Europe;

realizing that simultaneous further action will have to be taken in the fields of production and finance to provide the equipment for and to maintain the increased forces required;

emphasizing the importance of all possible steps to these ends being taken with a minimum of delay;

Resolves:

1. to invite the Defense Committee to consider the revision of the major force levels in the Medium Term Defense Plan as a matter of utmost urgency so that the revision, based on strictly military considerations, may be finalized at the Defense Committee’s meeting beginning October 16.

2. to invite the Defense Committee to express its requirements in such form as to permit adequate and immediate action to be taken by all bodies of the NATO and by the governments concerned in order to translate the plan into reality. This will entail that the Revised Plan set forth the tasks, the force requirements and the general deployment of forces of individual countries.

3. to invite, further, the Defense Committee to provide, as soon as practicable, time phased force requirements, particularly in terms of forces to be made available by each country for the defense of freedom in Europe on July 1, 1951 and on July 1, 1952;

Recommends:

that member governments consider the desirability of accepting forthwith the Medium Term Defense Plan as revised by the Defense Committee and of taking such steps as may progessively be necessary to meet their required contributions under the Plan as rapidly as possible.²

1. Attached to the source text was a cover sheet, not printed, which indicated that this paper had been submitted to the Foreign Ministers by the three delegations. The cover sheet also bore the notation [D–3/b] after “Document 22.”

2. Document 22 was considered and revised by the Foreign Ministers at their third meeting on September 13. For the minutes of this meeting, see p. 1209. The text of the revised resolution as approved by the Ministers, Document 22 (Revised), read:

   “The Council:

   Invites the Defense Committee: 1. to consider the revision of the major force levels in the Medium Term Defense Plan as a matter of urgency so that the revision, based on military considerations, may be finalized at the Committee’s meeting on October 16. 2. to express its requirements in such form as to permit adequate and immediate action to be taken by all bodies of the NATO and by the governments concerned in order to translate the plan into reality. Accordingly, the Revised Plan should set forth the tasks, the force requirements and the general deployment of forces of the individual countries. 3. to provide, as soon as practicable, time phased force requirements, particularly in terms of forces to be made available by each country on July 1, 1951 and on July 1, 1952. Recommends: that member governments, upon being advised of the provisions of the Medium Term Defense Plan and the respective contributions required thereby, consider as a matter of urgency the acceptance of the Plan and the taking of such measures as may be necessary as rapidly as possible to meet the contributions required of them, on the assumption that the necessary complementary action in the fields of production and finance will be taken to provide the equipment required.” (CFM Files: Lot M–88: Box 152: CFM Documents 1–40)