Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Western European Security, Volume V, Part 1

Editorial Note

On May 27, 1952, the treaty establishing a European Defense Community with a “Special Agreement” on the level of forces annexed thereto was signed at Paris by Konrad Adenauer, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany; Paul Van Zeeland, Foreign Minister of Belgium; Robert Schuman, Foreign Minister of France; Alcide De Gasperi, Prime Minister of Italy; Joseph Bech, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defense of Luxembourg; and Dirk Stikker, Foreign Minister of the Netherlands. A photograph of the signing ceremonies is printed on page 565. At the same time, military, financial, and jurisdictional protocols were signed as was a Convention Relative to the Status of European Defense Forces and the Tax and Commercial Regime of the European Defense Community. Finally, a Common Declaration by the Foreign Ministers was issued expressing the wish that the duration of the North Atlantic Treaty be brought into conformity with the 50-year period of the European Defense Community.

On the same occasion, a protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty was signed extending to member nations of the European Defense Community the assurance that the member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization would consider an attack on the European territory of any of the EDC states, or on any of their forces when in the area described in Article VI (2) of the North Atlantic Treaty, as an attack against all the Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty and that they would take action accordingly within the meaning of Article V of the North Atlantic Treaty, i.e., each would take such action as it deemed necessary. Secretary Acheson signed this protocol on behalf of the United States. A similar protocol guaranteeing assistance by the EDC member states to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was signed by the Foreign Ministers of the EDC member states. A Tripartite Declaration emphasizing the concern of the United States, United Kingdom, and France with the integrity of the EDC as then constituted was also signed by Acheson, Foreign Secretary Eden, and Foreign Minister Schuman. Finally, a treaty between the United Kingdom and the member states of the European Defense Community was signed by the appropriate foreign ministers pledging mutual military assistance and aid in the event that either the United Kingdom or one or all of the member states of the EDC should be the object of an armed attack “in Europe”.

A protocol was also signed by the Foreign Ministers of the European Defense Community providing that “The delegations which participated in drawing up the Treaty shall continue to meet as an Interim Committee during the period between the date of signature of the Treaty and the date when the institutions of the European Defense Community begin to function.” The Interim Committee was charged with considering those problems which concerned the Community and the measures which the signatory governments might be required to take before the EDC institutions should begin to function. It was to draft the texts of those protocols and conventions which were to be put into force at the same time as the Treaty. It was to collect all information needed to facilitate performance by the EDC Commissariat of the most urgent tasks for which it was responsible. Finally, the Interim Committee was empowered to appoint ad hoc working groups and call experts on a temporary basis in order to carry out its above mandate.

The Tripartite Declaration of the United States, United Kingdom, and France pledging the signators’ interest in the strength and integrity of the European Defense Community is printed infra. All other documents here cited are published, in English, in AFP, volume I, pages 1107–1198. The protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty and the Tripartite Declaration are also printed in Department of State Bulletin, June 9, 1952, pages 896–897, along with a brief statement by Acheson on the occasion of the signing of the treaty establishing the European Defense Community. An extract from the “Special Agreement” on level of forces, later redesignated as C–M (54) 96, is in the NATO Sub-Registry at Brussels.

Following discussions between Acheson and Schuman at Paris on May 29, a communiqué, in French, was issued stating inter alia that the talks had been held in conformity with the longstanding practice of holding conversations following international conferences between various foreign ministers and that a number of problems of common interest had been explored including those dealing with the Far East and North Africa. The communiqué is printed in Documents (R.I.I.A.) for 1952, page 170. Further documentation on these talks is in the compilation on France in volume VI.

On June 2, Secretary Acheson addressed the nation on the Bonn Agreements regarding contractual relations and on the European Defense Community. That same day President Truman formally transmitted to the Senate the German Contractual Agreements and the protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty relating to security guarantees to the EDC member states. The President asked the Senate to give an early and favorable consideration to both documents. The texts of Secretary Acheson’s address and the President’s letter of transmittal to the Senate are in the Department of State Bulletin, June 16, 1952, pages 931–933 and 947–949. Throughout early June, Department of State officials appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee to urge prompt, bipartisan approval of the Contractual Agreements and the NAT protocol in order to allay European nervousness. Secretary Acheson assured a joint meeting of the House and Senate committees that no secret agreements had been undertaken at either Bonn or Paris. For his testimony on June 2, see Executive Sessions of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, volume IV, 1952 (Washington, 1976), pages 467 ff. Under Secretary Bruce appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on June 11, and McCloy followed on June 12. The statements of both men in support of prompt, unconditional ratification of both the Contractual Agreements and the NAT protocol are in Conference files, lot 59 D 95, CF 108. On June 23 and 24, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee gave its approval to both documents and sent them to the full Senate for consideration.

Tripartite Declaration¹

The Governments of the United States of America, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and France have signed conventions with the German Federal Republic which will establish a new relationship with that country.² These conventions, as well as the treaties for a European Defense Community and a European coal and steel community, of which France is a signatory, provide a new basis for uniting Europe and for the realization of Germany’s partnership in the European community. They are designed to prevent the resurgence of former tensions and conflicts among the free nations of Europe and any future revival of aggressive militarism. They make possible the removal of the special restraints hitherto imposed on the Federal Republic of Germany and permit its participation as an equal partner in Western defense.

These conventions and treaties respond to the desire to provide by united efforts for the prosperity and security of Western Europe. The Governments of the United States and the United Kingdom consider that the establishment and development of these institutions of the European community correspond to their own basic interests and will therefore lend them every possible co-operation and support.

Moreover, Western defense is a common enterprise in which the Governments of the United States and the United Kingdom are already partners through membership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

These bonds are now strengthened by the system of reciprocal guarantees agreed to between the member states of the European Defense Community, between these member states and the United Kingdom and also between these member states and the member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

For these various reasons, including the fact that these new guarantees will apply to the states concerned only as members of one or the other of these organizations, the Governments of the United States and the United Kingdom have an abiding interest, as has the Government of France, in the effectiveness of the treaty creating the European Defense Community and in the strength and integrity of that community. Accordingly, if any action from whatever quarter threatens the integrity or unity of the community, the two Governments will regard this as a threat to their own security. They will act in accordance with Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty. Moreover, they have each expressed their resolve to station such forces on the continent of Europe, including the Federal Republic of Germany, as they deem necessary and appropriate to contribute to the joint defense of the North Atlantic Treaty area, having regard to their obligations under the North Atlantic Treaty, their interest in the integrity of the European Defense Community, and their special responsibilities in Germany.

The security and welfare of Berlin and the maintenance of the position of the Three Powers there are regarded by the Three Powers as essential elements of the peace of the free world in the present international situation. Accordingly they will maintain armed forces within the territory of Berlin as long as their responsibilities require it. They therefore reaffirm that they will treat any attack against Berlin from any quarter as an attack upon their forces and themselves.

These new security guarantees supersede the assurances contained in the declaration of the Foreign Ministers of the United Kingdom, the United States, and France at New York on September 19, 1950.³

1. Reprinted from the Department of State Bulletin, June 9, 1952, p. 897.
2. See editorial note, p. 675.
3. For text of the Agreement on Berlin Security and the Communiqué on Germany, see Foreign Relations, 1950, vol. iii, p. 1296.