Editorial Note
On June 7 Under Secretary Webb submitted a report to the National Security Council on United States policy toward Spain. The report consisted of a note by Lay which explained that Webb wished to reorganize NSC 72/4 (Document 359) without substantive change “in order to distinguish more clearly between objectives, guiding considerations and recommended action”; a cover sheet; and a copy of ISAC D–12a (Document 394) and was circulated to the National Security Council as NSC 72/5. On June 19 the Joint Chiefs of Staff submitted certain comments on the proposed revision and on June 21 the NSC Senior Staff suggested further changes. On June 25 Perkins sent a memorandum to Secretary [Page 819] Acheson indicating that the Department of State had no objections to either set of changes except for a proposed revision of paragraph Id which would have read:
“If full membership of Spain in NATO would be unacceptably delayed, to conclude alternative mutual security arrangement which would include Spain and which would not prejudice the attainment at the earliest practicable date of Spanish membership in NATO.”
Copies of the various documents referred to above are in S/S–NSC files, lot 63D351, NSC 72. For text of the statement of policy as approved by the National Security Council in resolving the various suggested changes, see NSC 72/6, Document 380.