Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, Western Europe and Canada, Volume XXVII

376. Memorandum of a Conversation, Prime Minister Diefenbaker’s Residence, Ottawa, July 28, 1957¹

Ottawa, July 28, 1957

PARTICIPANTS

• Prime Minister of Canada, John Diefenbaker
• Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles
• United States Ambassador, Livingston T. Merchant

SUBJECT

• Common Command Arrangements for Continental Air Defense

The Secretary raised this subject with Mr. Diefenbaker, expressing his appreciation for the promptness with which the new Government had acted to reach a decision which seemed in our common interest. Mr. Diefenbaker said that he had approved it immediately when the proposal was presented to him in full. He said that he had long been disturbed over the fact that Canada might have an inadequate or no voice at all in setting in motion actions which rendered war inevitable. He said he doubted that there would be time for either Congress or Parliament to act if the Soviets launched a surprise attack across the Pole. He said that under such circumstances a decision which would set in motion defense [which] would, in a matter of minutes, involve both countries in hostilities. Consequently, he believed that it was essential that there be a high-ranking officer in a senior position in the USAF Headquarters where such a decision would presumably have to be reached.

(I have been subsequently reliably informed that Air Marshal Slemon, now Chief of the Air Staff, will be the RCAF officer named as the Canadian deputy.)²

Livingston T. Merchant

1. Source: Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 64 D 199. Secret. Drafted by Merchant on July 30. See Documents 374 and 377 for memoranda of other parts of this conversation.
2. On August 1, the United States and Canada issued a joint statement announcing that “The two governments have agreed to the setting up of a system of integrated operational control of the air defense forces in the Continental United States, Alaska and Canada under an integrated command responsible to the Chiefs of Staff of both countries.” The text is printed in Department of State Bulletin, August 19, 1957, p. 306. On August 1, Canada also announced that Canadian Air Marshal C.R. Slemon would serve as deputy to Lieutenant General Earle Partridge, USAF, Commander in Chief of NORAD. (Despatch 89 from Ottawa, August 2; Department of State, Central Files, 740.00 (W)/8–257)