740.5/10–1254

Memorandum by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs ( Elbrick ) to the Secretary of State 1

top secret

Subject:

  • Status of Program on NATO “New Approach” Studies.

On Wednesday, October 6, 1954 we met with General Gruenther in the Pentagon to get his views on the program on the NATO “New Approach” studies.

In essence, it is his position that we should get North Atlantic Council approval at the Ministerial Meeting in December of the proposed Military Committee Report, the draft of which has been modified along the lines authorized by you while you were in London.

. . . . . . .

We are unofficially informed that after the meeting, General Gruenther discussed the matter with Admiral Radford and that they agreed to disagree on the above topic.

A copy of the transcript of the meeting with General Gruenther is attached as Tab A.2 I recommend that you give it your personal attention, inasmuch as so much of the action in preparation for the December meeting will call for your own personal thought and guidance.

After the meeting, the Department of Defense sent a memorandum to the Joint Chiefs of Staff requesting their views.

A copy thereof is attached hereto as Tab B.2 Your attention is particularly directed to Paragraph 4(f) thereof, commencing at the bottom of Page 2.

The present timetable calls for the Secretary of Defense and yourself to submit your recommendations for a program on the NATO “New Approach” studies to the President about November 1, and we will be, in the ensuing weeks, preparing the necessary staff work for that action.

  1. Drafted by Wolf. A handwritten notation on the source text reads: “Sec did not see”.
  2. Not found attached to the source text and not further identifiable in Department of State files.
  3. Not found attached to the source text and not further identifiable in Department of State files.