Office of the Historian

740.5/12–1751: Telegram

The United States Delegation on the Temporary Council Committee to the Secretary of State 1

confidential
priority
Paris, December 17, 1951—4 p. m.

Repna circular 14. Usdel Tcc 84. This cable reports TCC mtg 11 a. m., December 17.

1. TCC approved summary of findings revised to eliminate ref to country recommendations. Number of minor changes agreed in session. EB authorized to draft final wording on several points.

2. TCC approved revised foreword, with fol text:

  • “In accordance with the directive of the North Atlantic Council at its mtg on the 19th September last, the temporary comite of the council transmits the fol report.
  • “In their consideration of the problems remitted to the comite the twelve national reps have regarded themselves as members of a team working towards a solution of the over-all military, polit and econ problems of NATO as a whole, rather than as dels acting on detailed instructions from their govts. It fols from this that the recommendations made in this report cannot be regarded as constituting governmental commitments. It also fols that effective action on the lines proposed by the comite will depend on acceptance and implementation by individual govts.
  • “The report has been approved by the TCC on the fol understanding:
    • “(a) The body of the report contained in parts 1 thru 5 is recommended for acceptance by the North Atlantic Treaty org and member governments. The principles and method of approach of the recommended plan of action and the major findings of the comite are summarized in part 1. The quantitative estimates in parts 2 and 3 rest on a series of assumptions as regards the actions of individual member govts which do not constitute commitments of govts or necessarily of individual members of the comite.
    • “(b) The annexes relating to def efforts of individual member countries in relation to their politico-econ capabilities which are contained in part 6, are submitted to member govts for their consideration.
    • “(c) The report of the screening and costing staff of the TCC is a Cosmic TopSec annex to this report; as indicated in para 1 of part 4, the SCS report is recommended for the urgent attention of member countries and NAT agencies.
    • “(d) The special attention of member govts and NAT agencies is directed to para 20, part 1, setting forth recommendations for immediate action.
  • “The comite proposes to prepare a supplementary report for consideration by the North Atlantic Council at its meeting in Lisbon on [Page 388] 2nd February, 1952. The comite accordingly requests each member govt to forward its comments on the present report, including in particular the annex in part 6 concerning action by it. These comments shld be sent as soon as possible, and in any case not later than 15th January, 1952 to the Secretary of the Temporary Council Comite, 2 Rue de la Faisanderie, Paris 16th.
  • “This report is also being referred to the Mil Comite in accordance with the decision of the North Atlantic Council at its Rome meeting.”

3. TCC meets again at 3, which cld be final session.

  1. Repeated to Ottawa, Heidelberg for Handy, and London for Gifford, Spofford, Kibler, and Batt.↩