Editorial Note

The first NAC Ministerial meeting (Tenth Session) following the reorganization at Lisbon, was held at the Palais de Chaillot in Paris, December 15 to 18, 1952. Secretary Acheson, who led the United States Delegation together with Secretaries Snyder and Lovett, Special Representative Draper, and Director for Mutual Security Harriman, stressed before leaving for the meeting that it would probably not reach “any very great conclusions” and that it should be considered more as a regular meeting of Ministers than as a session for dealing with matters of far-reaching importance. (Press release 912, December 10; Department of State Bulletin, December 22, 1952, page 985)

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In preparation for the meeting, two major sets of documents were drafted to cover various topics that were expected to arise during the sessions. One set was drafted by the Office of the Special Representative in Europe and dealt almost exclusively with technical aspects of NATO problems, in particular with the annual review. A set of these papers, undesignated by any series indicator, is in the Conference files, lot 59 D 95, CF 126. The other set was drafted in the Department of State and in a few cases by either the Embassy in France or by the Office of the Special Representative. These negotiating papers, prepared to correspond with the various items on the 15-point agenda (see below), were designated NATOP D–1 through NATOP D–14. Copies of these papers including preliminary and final drafts are in the Conference files, lot 59 D 95, CF 128. The Department of State also prepared a set of background papers for Secretary Acheson to brief him on topics which he might want to raise with the Ministers on problems not related to NATO. These documents, designated PBT D, were divided under four headings: (1) General, dealing largely with the question of the European Defense Community; (2) Eden, dealing with the Saar, Iran, Buraimi, Egypt, Japan, and Kashmir; (3) Schuman, dealing with Southeast Asia, East–West trade, the Middle East Defense Organization, Yugoslavia, and aid to France; and (4) Kraft, dealing with the delivery of a Danish tanker to the Soviet Union. Copies of the PBT D documents are in the Conference files, lot 59 D 95, CF 129. Regarding the discussion of the European Defense Community with French officials during the course of the Ministerial meeting, see editorial note, page 698.

The first session of the Ministerial Council meeting took place at 3:30 p.m. December 15 under the Chairmanship of Danish Foreign Minister Kraft. Under consideration was the following 15-point agenda:

  • “I. Report by the Secretary General
  • II. Military Progress Report
  • III. 1953 Infrastructure Program for SACEUR, SACLANT and Channel Command
  • IV. Command Organization for the Mediterranean
  • V. Exchange of views on Political Matters of Common Concern
  • VI. Discussion of Implementation of Article II
  • VII. Trends of Soviet Policy
  • VIII. Estimate of Strength and Capabilities of Soviet Bloc from Present through 1954
  • IX. Revision of NATO Strategic Guidance to reflect Accession of Greece and Turkey
  • X. General Discussion of the Military Estimate of Risk
  • XI. First Report on the Annual Review
  • XII. General Discussion Concerning Determination of NATO Defense Effort
  • XIII. Principles Governing Future Ministerial Meetings of Council, including Date and Place of Next Meeting
  • XIV. Any Other Business
  • XV. Communiqué” (Conference files, lot 59 D 95. CF 121)

At the first session the Ministers took note of the Secretary General’s report (C–M(52)125, dated December 8) on the progress made by NATO during the period April 4 to November 30; took note of the report by the Standing Group (MC 5/5 Final) on the military progress of NATO; heard statements by General Ridgway (SACEUR) and Admiral McCormick (SACLANT) that the means for defending Europe were not yet at hand; referred the question of infrastructure to a special committee; and instructed the Secretariat to prepare a draft resolution on the implementation of Article II of the North Atlantic Treaty. Copies of the Secretary General’s report and the statements made by Ridgway and McCormick, C–M(52)136 and C–M(52)137, respectively, are in the Conference files, lot 59 D 95, CF 123. A copy of the summary record (C–R(52)37) of this session is in the Conference files, lot 59 D 95, CF 122.

At their second session at 11 a.m. December 16, the Ministers discussed the release of General Ridgway’s statement, considered the draft resolution on Article II and agreed to remit it for redrafting, took note of a report on trends in Soviet policy (C–M(52)116, dated December 1), approved the recommendations of a report by the Standing Group to the Military Committee on the command organization in the Mediterranean (MC 38/3 Final, dated December 10), and discussed Indochina. Copies of C–M(52)116 and MC 38/3 Final are in the Conference files, lot 59 D 95, CF 123. A copy of the summary record (C–R(52)38) of this session is in the Conference files, lot 59 D 95, CF 122.

At their third session at 11 a.m. December 17, the Ministers continued their discussion of Indochina and adopted a resolution on the subject proposed by Secretary Acheson (C–M(52) 140). They also discussed Germany and relations between Italy and Yugoslavia, approved resolutions on the European Defense Community (EDC) (C–M(52) 141) and on the implementation of Article II (C–M(52) 138 (Final)), took note of a report by the Standing Group (MC 44) on the strength and capabilities of the Soviet bloc through 1954, and approved MC 14/1 Final, dated December 9, which revised the NATO Strategic Guidance Plan to reflect the admission of Greece and Turkey to NATO. For the texts of the resolutions on the EDC, Indochina, and Article II, see Department of State Bulletin, January 5, 1953, pages 4–5. Copies of MC 14/1 Final and the summary record of this session (C–R(52)39) are in the Conference files, lot 59 D 95, CFs 124 and 122, respectively.

The fourth session at 3:30 p.m., December 17 was devoted largely to the Annual Review with the Ministers also considering a report by the Military Committee (MC 45 Final) on the military risk in 1953. [Page 351] A copy of this four-page report is in the NATO Registry files at Brussels. A copy of the summary record of this session (C–R (52)40) is in the Conference files, lot 59 D 95, CF 122.

The Ministers held two further sessions on December 18. In the morning they considered what action needed to be taken on the first report (C–M (52) 130, parts I and II, dated December 12) on the Annual Review, and agreed that the next meeting of the Ministers should take place as early as possible in the spring of 1953 at Paris. In the afternoon final session the Ministers approved or adopted various reports on military procedures, infrastructure, and command organizations (C–M (52) 144), and approved the text of a communiqué (C–M (52) 146 (Final)) on their meeting. For the text of the communiqué, see Department of State Bulletin, January 5, 1953, pages 3–4; copies of parts I and II of C–M(52) 130 are in the Conference files, lot 59 D 95, CFs 124 and 125, respectively; a copy of C–M (52) 144 is in the Conference files, lot 59 D 95, CF 125. Copies of the summary records of the morning and final sessions (C–R (52)41 and 42) are in the Conference files, lot 59 D 95, CF 122.

The largest collection of documentation on the ministerial meeting is in the Conference files, lot 59 D 95, CFs 122–131. This includes the summary records of the sessions, sets of the papers prepared by the Department of State and the Special Representative, documents of the meeting, briefing papers for Secretary Acheson on topics not related to NATO, telegraphic reports on the sessions, and other documents relating to the work of the United States Delegation. Another collection of materials on the meeting is in the CFM files, lot M 88, box 163. It includes the papers prepared by the Department of State, six folders of materials relating to the German submission for the 1952 Annual Review, and a folder of miscellaneous materials on the meeting. A small amount of documentation, comprising mostly telegraphic reports on the sessions, is in file 740.5. For Secretary Acheson’s appraisal of the meeting, see his letter to the President, infra.