Foreign Relations of the United States, 1951, European Security and the German Question, Volume III, Part 1

740.5/9–1851: Telegram

The United States Delegation at the Seventh Session of the North Atlantic Council to the Acting Secretary of State ¹

secret

Ottawa , September 18, 1951—7 p. m.

Secto 17. Council reconvened in plenary session Tuesday p. m. and unanimously approved Defense Ministers recommendations re item VII: (a) fol reports tabled NAC re country’s defense effort to SG and MRC for SHAPE and other NATO commands, (b) ask SG to request SHAPE and other NATO commands (1) to submit to MC for NAC mtg Rome an appreciation of readiness and effectiveness of forces which can be made immediately available for battle, (2) to suggest any mil steps which shld be taken to improve immediate availability of forces and (c) to invite General Eisenhower to proceed to Rome to give appraisal and recommendations.

Secretary Pace circulated prepared US report on defense effort² without making it basis for discussion. He fully supported early readiness proposals and stressed that US making both “early plans and later plans” to encompass situation ahead.

Claxton made announcement that upon SHAPE’S recommendation, Canada planned to send in new brigade group to form part of northern army forces with UK-Belgian-Netherlands forces.

Council closed discussion item VII, adjourned until 10 a. m. Wednesday when will discuss draft report from WG on item VI.

1. Repeated to London, Paris, Copenhagen, Luxembourg, Brussels, The Hague, Oslo, Lisbon, Rome, and Reykjavik.
2. The statement by Pace concerning the defense effort of the United States was circulated as Council Document C7–D/17, September 18, 1951.