Office of the Historian

4. Memorandum From the Deputy Secretary of Defense (Anderson) to the Executive Secretary of the National Security Council (Lay)1

Washington, April 5, 1955.

SUBJECT

  • U.S. Aid to France

In view of the favorable parliamentary action by the French Government in ratifying the Western European Union Pact2 the Department of Defense considers that the restrictions imposed on U.S. aid to France by paragraph 9 of NSC 5433/13 have adequately served the purpose for which they were originally imposed.

It is recognized that the French have not yet formally deposited their Instrument of Ratification of the Pact. It may be, in light of this, and, further, because of the difficulties in obtaining full French support in the current crisis in South Viet Nam that it will not be advisable to remove the restrictions on U.S. aid immediately. Nevertheless, in order not to delay any longer than necessary the programmed provision of military aid to France, it would be appreciated if this matter could be placed on the agenda of an early NSC meeting.4

If the Council agrees that paragraph 9 of NSC 5433/1 has now served its full purpose, it is recommended that the Council:

“Agree that any existing limitations on U.S. aid to France, imposed pursuant to paragraph 9 of NSC 5433/1 (NSC Action No. 1227–b–(5)) as amended by NSC Action No. 1294, should now be rescinded.”5

R.B. Anderson6
  1. Source: Department of State, S/S–NSC Files: Lot 63 D 351. Top Secret. Sent to members of the National Security Council as an enclosure to a letter from Lay of April 5. Copies were also sent to Humphrey, Hughes, Radford, and Allen W. Dulles.↩
  2. See footnote 4, Document 1.↩
  3. Entitled “Immediate U.S. Policy Toward Europe,” September 25, 1954; for text, see Foreign Relations, 1952–1954, vol. V, Part 2, p. 1268.↩
  4. According to the memorandum of discussion at the 244th meeting of the National Security Council, April 8, the Council considered this memorandum and agreed to Anderson’s recommendation. This decision was approved by President Eisenhower, and the recommendation was transmitted to Secretary Dulles, Secretary of Defense Wilson, and Stassen for action. (Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records)↩
  5. According to the memorandum of discussion at the 230th meeting of the National Security Council, January 6, the Council agreed that the construction and procurement limitations on U.S. aid to France, which had been imposed in September 1954, be rescinded. (Ibid.)↩
  6. Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.↩