Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Western Europe and Canada, Volume VI, Part 2

S/S–NSC files, lot 63 D 351, NSC 72 Series

No. 910
Memorandum by the Acting Secretary of State to the Executive Secretary of the National Security Council (Lay)¹

secret

Washington, February 15, 1954.

Third Progress Report on “United States Policy Toward Spain” (NSC 72/4² Surprised By NSC 72/6³ on June 28, 1951)

[Here follows Part I, a seven-page summary of the base negotiations.]

Part II

evaluation

The first two national security objectives of U.S. policy toward Spain, as stated in NSC 72/6 of June 28, 1951, are:

(1) to develop urgently the military potentialities of Spain’s strategic geographic position for the common defense of the NAT area; and

(2) to concentrate planning on the use of Spain for the common defense, not solely for the defense of the Iberian peninsula.

These objectives are being successfully accomplished under the terms of the agreements signed on September 26, 1953.⁴ In accordance with these two objectives, the agreements provide for the development of a program covering the joint use of Spanish air and naval facilities and the extension of appropriate economic and military end-item assistance to support the program of military cooperation. This program, which takes full advantage of Spain’s geographic position, is designed to contribute to the common defense of the NAT area. At the same time the program, which will include military equipment essential to the defense of the joint air and naval facilities in Spain, will also contribute to strengthening the defense of Spain.

Little or no progress has been made toward the third and fourth objectives of NSC 72/6: (3) assisting the Spaniards to improve their relations with the NAT nations and (4) obtaining early Spanish participation in NATO. Progress toward these two objectives has been seriously impeded by the Spanish Government’s pursuit, even after the signing of the agreements with the U.S., of policies antagonistic to the interests of some members of NATO. For example, the recent unilateral acts of the Spanish Government with regard to Morocco and Gibraltar have, at least temporarily, substantially reduced the possibilities of improved relations with France and Great Britain. However, it is anticipated that in the long run the closer ties between the U.S. and Spain resulting from the agreements will not only strengthen the military preparedness of the NAT area, but also will facilitate the progressive improvement of Spain’s relations with the Western European community and Spain’s eventual participation in NATO.

While substantial progress is being made in fulfilling the first two objectives of NSC 72/6, it is considered that they still constitute appropriate and desirable goals of U.S. policy toward Spain. It is believed that the third and fourth objectives of NSC 72/6 also continue to be appropriate and desirable policy goals. It is recommended, therefore, that the NSC confirm these four objectives as U.S. policy goals with respect to Spain.

W. B. Smith

1. This memorandum underwent a lengthy process of revision prior to submission in its present form to the National Security Council. It was initially drafted in the Office of Western European Affairs as a status report on the negotiations as of May 20, 1953. (S/S–NSC files, lot 63 D 351, NSC 72 Series) It was revised effective Sept. 26, 1953, to take account of the conclusion of the negotiations. (711.56352/9–2653) By the time of its submission to Lay on Jan. 26, 1954, it had been drastically reduced in size. Because the report did not include in that form an evaluation of the progress made by the United States in attaining its objectives as outlined by NSC 72/6, it was returned to the Department of State on Jan. 27 for completion. The result was this paper, which was presented to the National Security Council at the Mar. 11 meeting. During the course of that meeting, the NSC reaffirmed the goals of NSC 72/6 as stated in this report, but did so only pending “review by the Planning Board of this policy.” (Memorandum of discussion at the 188th meeting of the National Security Council, Mar. 11, 1954; Eisenhower Library, Eisenhower papers, Whitman file)
2. For the text of NSC 72/4, Feb. 1, 1951, see Foreign Relations, 1951, vol. iv, Part 1, p. 789.
3. For the text of NSC 72/6, June 27, 1951, see ibid., p. 820.
4. For a summary of these agreements, see Document 907.