740.5/12–1954
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs (Merchant), at Paris
Participants:
- The Secretary
- Mr. Lester Pearson, Canadian Minister for External Affairs
- Mr. Merchant
Mr. Pearson discussed at some length with the Secretary the background and action taken on MC–48. He felt the matter had come out very well in the council.… There was agreement that this whole problem has a certain artificial aspect in that it involves constitutional and political problems which are virtually impossible of solution in the abstract but which are as a rule determined without difficulty by events themselves.
Mr. Pearson then mentioned the implications of the development of the Far North Line. He said the Canadians were of course all for this but that obviously when it was completed it would require fighter stations in the Far North. This in turn would place an added requirement on the Canadian Air Force, He said that it would be politically impossible for the Canadians if part of this requirement was met by moving in American fighter squadrons at a time when part of the Canadian Air Force was physically located in Europe. He doubted that under these circumstances Canada would be able to make the additional effort and he was inclined to think that when this need arose it would be necessary for Canada to pull back from NATO assignment in Europe some or all of their squadrons in order to fill their northern defense needs. He said, however, that this was not a question which would arise for three or four years.