Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, The Near and Middle East, Volume IX, Part 1

780.5/9–2252

No. 88
The Secretary of State to the Secretary of Defense (Lovett)

secret

[Washington,] September 22, 1952.

My Dear Mr. Secretary: Attached is a memorandum¹ setting forth proposed United States comments on certain proposals concerning the Middle East Defense Organization put forward by the French Government in a memorandum handed to the Department of State August 15, 1952 (copy attached).² A copy of this memorandum was transmitted informally to the Department of Defense at the time of its receipt.³

The French memorandum is addressed principally to the question of the higher military direction of MEDO and emphasizes the importance the French attach to making the NATO Standing Group responsible for the guidance and direction of MEDO. In view of the interest of the Department of Defense in this matter, I would appreciate your advising me as to whether you consider the proposed memorandum to the French an appropriate expression of United States views.

Sincerely yours,

For the Secretary of State:
Henry A. Byroade
Assistant Secretary

1. Not printed. For substantially the same text, see telegram 2155 to Paris, Document 94.
2. Not attached to source text. See the editorial note, supra, and the memorandum of conversation by Daspit, Document 84.
3. For the Department of Defense response, see footnote 2, Document 94.