740.5 MAP/5–1150: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Acting Secretary of State
Secto 228. Rome Embtel 1966, May 9, 1950.1 Re possibility Sforza may propose formation integrated European army we have been giving consideration to what line Secretary should take in Council.
If Sforza should make proposal, it is believed that he might have some support from other European nations and that US might be placed in somewhat awkward position if we had nothing constructive to suggest. Our tentative thinking is that US should take position that this is in spirit of recognized need for balanced collective forces but that as specific proposal it must be studied on military level in order to determine its feasibility and that it should therefore be raised in appropriate military body.2
- Telegram Tomap 1966, not printed.↩
- The Acting Secretary of State, in his answering telegram Tosec 191 to London, May 12, not printed, conveyed the following State-Defense message: “Since JCS have not as yet considered such a proposal, U.S. shld not even imply at this juncture that idea has merit. We therefore believe US position shld be that as specific proposal it must be studied on military level in order to determine its feasibility. Pass to CINCNELM.” (740.5 MAP/5–1150)↩