740.5/12–1451
The Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (Eisenhower) to the Chairman of the Temporary Council Committee (Harriman)1
I am happy to know that your entire comite is now mtg to put its work into final form. Responding to your request for my personal [Page 378] comment on the comite’s draft “plan of action”, I can offer only broad comments since we here at SHAPE have had no opportunity for exhaustive study.
My first comment is that the results of the work of the Temporary Council Comite and of its Screening and Costing Staff represent a truly monumental piece of work. The participants in that task will certainly deserve a real tribute from the whole NATO community if they are able to complete their difficult work as effectively as they have advanced it thus far. I am impressed not only by the spirit of cooperation that must have animated the members of the comite in achieving the kind of agreement that is represented but also by the objective manner in which they have tackled this most difficult problem.
I have the feeling that we are really seeing for the first time the dimensions, in terms of an integrated mil, econ, and fin effort, of our build-up task. It will be a real milestone in NATO development to have carried out with this degree of success the difficult task of reconciling rapid build-up of security forces with practical limitations in the econ field and to have one [won?] this through joint and cooperative action.
The gen approach indicated in the plan of building a balanced combat-effective force at the maximum rate which the availability of resources will permit is clearly one which affords strong support to the fulfillment of the NATO mission entrusted to me and, accordingly, I heartily welcome it. I think your comite has reached something both practical and effective in your handling of the programs proposed for each of the next three years. I assume this same method of operation wld be continued until the full requirements, necessary for the planned strategy, were provided for. In my opinion, the forces envisaged are such as to provide a sound basis for actions utilizing the resources which will become available during the coming year. I am ready to assist in every way I can in the attainment in the greatest possibly measure of the “maximum practicable” goals you have shown.
The standards for maiming, training, equipping, and providing cadres are directly related to this build-up of def forces. Those proposed as interim standards for 1952 seem well designed as gen guides which will contribute during the coming year to the maximum practicable build-up of effective forces. In this field also SHAPE will be in a position to advise and assist in making the best practicable application of this guidance to the particular forces and particular circumstances of each country.
From my own standpoint, and in the interest of saving time, I wld welcome the immediate and urgent initiation by the countries of the actions recommended in 1952 for the achievement of the build-up program. It is understood, of course, that Parliaments will have to determine [Page 379] the eventual levels, but the temporary council comite has already achieved a great deal by cooperative action in preparing a program for the consideration of the NATO nations. If our joint effort follows the broad lines that TCC is suggesting, and if it reaches the levels recommended, it is clear to me that there shld be full value recd in return, in terms of a more rapid development of defensive capability and creation of a real deterrent to aggression in West Eur.
- The text of Eisenhower’s letter was transmitted to the Department of State in telegram Repna circular 13 from Paris, December 14; it was repeated to Heidelberg, Luxembourg, London, and Ottawa.↩