18. Editorial Note
The Ministerial meeting of the North Atlantic Council held at Paris, May 4 and 5, 1956, was attended by the Foreign Ministers of the 15 member countries. The United States Delegation was headed by Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, United States Permanent NATO Representative George W. Perkins, Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Livingston T. Merchant, and Assistant Secretary of State for Policy Planning Robert R. Bowie.
The Secretary of State and his advisers left Washington on May 1. In his departure statement, Dulles stressed the importance of the forthcoming meeting because he believed the North Atlantic community needed “to organize itself into something more than a military alliance” and expected the representatives would begin “to search out new ways to express our common purposes.” For text of this statement, see Department of State Bulletin, May 14, 1956, page 79.
[Page 52]The most extensive body of documentation of this meeting is in Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 62 D 181, CF 689–708. CF 689 contains telegrams and letters pertaining to Dulles’ schedule of appointments in Paris. CF 690 and 691 contain a set of briefing papers for the delegation on topics likely to be discussed in Paris. CF 692 contains papers dealing with the administrative details of the meeting. CF 693, 699, and 700 contain copies of the Topol–Polto, Secto–Tosec, and Dulte–Tedul telegrams, respectively, which summarize the meetings and bilateral talks and include the exchanges between the United States Delegation and the Department of State. CF 694 contains a copy of the meeting’s agenda, and that file and CF 695 contain copies of the reports submitted for discussion to the Council. CF 696 contains copies of the verbatim and summary records of the Council meetings on May 4 and 5. CF 697 and 968 contain documents summarizing a few of Dulles’ talks with the Foreign Ministers, labeled “sidetalk papers.” CF 701 contains some memoranda of conversation with the British and French Ministers; CF 702, copies of studies written by members of the NATO staff; and CF 703, miscellaneous documents. CF 704 and 705 have a schedule of Dulles’ appointments for May 2 and May 3, respectively, as well as copies of the telegrams and memoranda of conversation which summarize the bilateral talks held on those two days. CF 706 and 707 contain copies of the summary and verbatim records of the Council meetings on May 4 and 5, respectively, and documents and telegrams describing the bilateral talks held on those days. CF 707 contains a copy of the final communiqué. CF 708 contains copies of telegrams summarizing Dulles’ tripartite talks on May 6, his press conference with American correspondents in Paris, and a copy of this statement made on May 7 upon his return to Washington. Reports and documents, which discuss preparations for the meeting and summarize the proceedings, and copies of some of the telegrams described above are also ibid., Central Files, 740.5.
During his stay in Paris, Dulles discussed problems of mutual concern with some of the Foreign Ministers. On May 2, the day of his arrival, he met with Pineau. Their discussions are summarized in the following telegrams: Secto 2, May 3, on the Middle East; Secto 3, May 3, on the Far East; Secto 4, May 3, on the French proposal to establish an agency for world economic development; and Secto 5, May 3, on disarmament.
On May 3, the Secretary of State met separately with several Foreign Ministers. Summaries of his discussions with Lloyd are in the following documents: Secto 8, May 4, on Cyprus; Secto 11, May 4, on the Middle East; the memorandum of conversation, May 9, on the Near East and Syria; Sectos 12 and 19, both dated May 4, on German support costs and disarmament, respectively; Secto 13, May 4, on [Page 53] East-West trade; and Secto 20, May 4, on NATO and the Soviet economic offensive (printed infra ).
Dulles’ discussion with von Brentano on reunification and German troops support costs is summarized in Secto 10, May 4. The Secretary’s discussion with Koprulu on the Middle East and Cyprus, is summarized in Secto 9, May 4, and his discussion with Theotoki on Cyprus, is summarized in Secto 14 of the same date. Dulles’ discussion with Pearson about the Canadian supply of arms to Israel is summarized in Dulte 5, May 4. Their discussions about an advertising tax and about the nonmilitary aspects of NATO where Dulles found Pearson “generally sympathetic” to his ideas are summarized in Secto 6 and Secto 7, May 4, respectively. The Secretary reported to the President on his discussions that day in Dulte 3, May 4.
The Secretary met with several Ministers on May 4. His talk with Cunha about the Azores is summarized in Dulte 7, May 5, and his conversation with Lange about the Iceland base difficulty is summarized in Secto 21, May 5. His talks with Caccia and later with Lloyd are summarized in Dultes 6 and 8, respectively, both dated May 4. For his talk with Mollet about European integration, summarized in Dulte 9, May 5, see Document 169. His conversations on May 5 with Gudmundsson about the Icelandic base difficulty and with Beyen about bilateral air transport negotiations are summarized in Secto 26 and Secto 25, May 5, respectively.
On May 6, Dulles held talks with Pineau and Lloyd on the Middle East. Their discussion is summarized in Secto 29, May 6. Secto 28 of the same date outlines their agreement on the shipment of aircraft to Israel.
Many of these telegrams and documents summarizing these discussions are scheduled for publication in the relevant compilations in forthcoming Foreign Relations volumes. Copies are in Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 62 D 181, CF 704, 705, 706, 707, and 708.
The Council meeting followed this agenda:
- I.
- Report by the Secretary General of Progress During the Period 1st December, 1955 to 21st April, 1956
- II.
- The International Situation in the Light of Current
Developments
- (a)
- Trends and Implications of Soviet Policy Including the Political and Economic Penetration of Underdeveloped Countries
- (b)
- Political and Economic Questions Arising from Current Soviet Tactics
- (c)
- Other Matters of Common Concern in the International Situation, Including North Africa, the Middle East, the Far East, Germany, Disarmament
- III.
-
Extension of Non-Military Co-operation Between NATO Countries
- (a)
- Survey of Article 2 Activities
Introductory Statement: Note by Working Group
- (b)
- Political Consultation
- (c)
- NATO Information Policy
- IV.
- Any Other Business
- V.
- Date of Next Ministerial Meeting
- VI.
- Communiqué
The final communiqué issued on May 5 reflected the decision taken at this meeting to develop the Atlantic community further in the political and economic fields.
Upon his return to Washington on May 7, Dulles reported briefly to the press on the meeting and on the following day made an address on the subject which was broadcast to the nation. On May 9, the President asked Senator Walter F. George to serve as his personal representative “in the development of this evolutionary step within the North Atlantic Community.” The text of the Secretary’s arrival statement, the final communiqué, his address, and the President’s letter to Senator George are printed in Department of State Bulletin, May 21, 1956, pages 831–837.
Because the documentation covering this meeting is extensive, the editors are presenting a selection of the most significant documents which best illustrate the main points of the Council’s discussions pertaining to NATO.