Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Western European Security, Volume V, Part 2

Conference files, lot 60 D 627, CF 364

Memorandum Prepared by the British Delegation ¹

confidential
[NPC (54) 2]

[ London ,] September 24, 1954.

German Association With the West and German Defence Contribution

During his recent tour of European capitals, Mr. Eden proposed a solution under three headings: the termination of the occupation régime, the accession of the Federal German Republic and Italy to the Brussels Treaty, and German membership of NATO with accompanying arrangements of a non-discriminatory character designed to increase the efficiency of Western defence and to determine the character and size of the German defence contribution.

2. These arrangements might cover the following subjects:

(a) agreement on the size and composition of the German Defence Contribution to NATO, based on the totals and types agreed for the E.D.C. Any subsequent variations would be subject to the current NATO procedure;

(b) agreement that the forces placed at the disposal of SACEUR on the Continent shall be:—

(i) deployed in accordance with agreed NATO strategy, and shall not be moved within his command area, nor revert to national control for use within that area, without his consent,

(ii) integrated as far as military efficiency requires,

(iii) inspected by SACEUR, this inspection to cover the levels and effectiveness of forces, their armaments, logistics and reserve formations.

(c) agreement that apart from forces placed at the disposal of SACEUR on the Continent, forces will only be maintained for defined purposes (e.g. international missions, forces required to defend other parts of the North Atlantic Treaty area or other parts of the world);

(d) agreement that certain types of armament production and research will not take place, except by consent of the North Atlantic Council, in those parts of the North Atlantic Treaty area classified as strategically exposed areas, such areas to be subject to NATO inspection;

(e) agreement to extend the legal life of the North Atlantic Treaty so as to preclude denunciation before 50 years;

(f) declarations by the United Kingdom and United States reaffirming any of their undertakings to the E.D.C. which remain applicable and are not covered by the agreements mentioned above;

(g) declarations by the German Federal Republic and the Governments of NATO on the subject of European Security.

3. This list is in no sense exhaustive. Another possibility is SHAPE control of logistics; and the French Government’s memorandum of September 18 contains further suggestions which are being studied in London.

4. Whilst Her Majesty’s Government would prefer that these arrangements should apply to all members of NATO (including the German Federal Republic on her accession to NATO), they recognise that this may not be feasible in every case and they are very ready to consider whether some of the arrangements could be organised within the enlarged Brussels Treaty Organisation. In this connexion Her Majesty’s Government would, however, underline the importance of

(a) not duplicating the NATO machinery or command structure, and

(b) ensuring, accordingly, that any arrangements agreed between the members of the enlarged Brussels Treaty Organisation shall operate within the NATO framework and be carried out by NATO machinery.

1. According to a cover sheet attached to the source text, this memorandum was circulated as document NPC (54) 2. It was distributed to the participating delegations prior to the First Plenary meeting of Sept. 28.