73. Telegram From the Embassy in Germany to the Department of State1
1223. For the Secretary. Ref: Deptel 876 Sept 28.2 Senator George saw Chancellor at 11 o’clock today. Conversation approximately 50 minutes. Ambassador Conant being sick in bed, Senator was accompanied by Minister Trimble, O’Shaughnessy, Kerry. After an exchange of courtesies and Chancellor’s expression of his good wishes to President in sustaining the burden of the coming weeks, Senator George stated that he came to give the Chancellor direct assurance and transmit to him message President: wished him to have. Considered it natural in view reports emanating from some officials [Page 162] in Washington that Chancellor regarded situation as disturbing. Wished to reassure him and give him complete assurance of the President that the Executive branch has no intention of withdrawing or reducing our forces in Germany or Western Europe so long as the presence is agreeable to the Germans and to the rest of the NATO group. The Chancellor thanked him for the statement and emphasized it would be most helpful to him if there could be a press release. He said it was not so much he himself who was disturbed by the issue but public opinion. Europe after the wars, [because of?] Germany’s Nazi experience, etc., was spiritually unstable. Public opinion must be carefully handled. He wished to give an example of the instability of public opinion. His party had an absolute majority. In July his party had supported 18 months as length military service. As result press reports from the United States everybody is now for 12 months. His military advisers assured him that the striking power of force built on a 12 months compulsory service would be as great or greater than the force contemplated at 18 months service. The Cabinet yesterday approved 12 months service but it had made an adjustment in a percentage of volunteers and draftees composing the forces in such a way that the force would remain as strong as previously contemplated. His military advisers actually preferred the 12 months service with the adjustment in a percentage of volunteers serving for longer period but he wished to use this as an example of the spiritual instability. He referred again to the fact that in July all but 3 members of his party had favored 18 months.
Senator George stated that there might be a streamlining or screening of our forces but that there would not be a reduction in force. The streamlining or screening might lead to an additional division. He wished to assure the Chancellor of our strong belief in NATO as a military screen behind which the free world could breathe. Germany was the great windward anchor of the alliance. We regretted as the Germans did the fact that the French had to be drawn off into Algiers and the Suez now created a problem with respect to the British forces. Immediate impression was bad but in the long run effect on NATO might be solidity. He knew and could speak of the basic feeling of the Senate and was convinced of the basic underlying intention to strengthen NATO. The military strength was the first essential of the alliance but we were hoping to improve NATO in political and economic consultation and by finding some means of eliminating disputes.
This was the message he particularly wished to bring to the Chancellor.
Chancellor said he was happy for the statement and thanked the Senator. There was a certain erroneous impression abroad in NATO which arose in the following manner: The United States NATO Ambassador [Page 163] was often without instructions and this created the impression of diminishing interest on the part of the United States in NATO which had its influence on other governments. Chancellor did not wish to be critical but to state the facts. The U.S. Government in Washington did not adequately inform and instruct its NATO Ambassador. He was pleased that the Senator had been appointed to his position as he could not be bypassed whether in Washington or Paris.3 Senator George stated he understood and appreciated the fact that Washington’s coordination was sometimes loose with its very capable and able Ambassador in NATO. (As this was translated to the Chancellor he broke in to say that he wanted to emphasize that he was not critical of Ambassador Perkins, that if Perkins didn’t have instruction he couldn’t act as though he did.) Senator George continued looseness of coordination was not a real indication of any lack of interest.
Chancellor stated there was an absolute necessity for closer and better coordination.
Senator continued that he would not want to say anything to the press unless the Chancellor approved. He would not want to make any statement which could be misunderstood and he would wish to discuss it with the Ambassador first.
Chancellor said such a statement would be very favorable for his policies.
After a further exchange of courtesies the Senator took leave of the Chancellor.
The Embassy believes that failure for the Senator to make any statement would result in the Chancellor leaking something much stronger.
Accordingly, Senator and Ambassador have agreed to following statement which has been cleared by Eckhardt and released.
Verbatim text.
“In the course of a long and friendly conversation with Chancellor Adenauer, I was able to reiterate to him the interest of my government in doing everything possible to strengthen the Atlantic Alliance and to expand the scope of its functions in the maintenance of peace, not only in the military field but also through closer consultation and cooperation in other areas of common interest. With regard to the military strength of NATO, I assured the Chancellor that the U.S. Government had no intention of taking any action which would weaken its defensive capabilities.”
End text.
- Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File. Secret; Niact; Limited Distribution. The source text bears Eisenhower’s initials indicating that he saw it.↩
- Telegram 876 requested a summary of Senator George’s meeting with the Chancellor. (Department of State, Central Files, 120.1540/9–2756)↩
- Senator George, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was designated by the President to attend the NATO meetings in Paris. George also visited the Federal Republic of Germany and Italy before returning to the United States.↩