396.1 LO/5–1550: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Acting Secretary of State
priority
Secto 267. As result three weeks negotiations conducted during past week on daily basis, Bevin, Schuman and Acheson tentatively agreed tonight on following text of resolution on strengthening NAT Council organization.1 Will be distributed tonight as UK proposal. Appreciate any comments.2 Have coordinated with Defense representative here.
Begin text: The North Atlantic Council, established in accordance with Article 9 of the treaty, has so far only met twice at the ministerial level and on two other occasions when the Foreign Ministers, members of the council, have been represented by their governments’ diplomatic representatives in Washington.
But under article 9, the council is the supreme body of the NAT. It is, therefore, the paramount duty of the council to put itself in a position to exercise its full role as the central and most important of the [Page 104] various organs of the treaty by taking the most effective steps to keep public informed of all matters which fall within its competence, by taking the necessary decisions and by ensuring the execution of such decisions.
A year’s experience has shown that on the political side the meetings of the council have been too infrequent to permit a sufficient exchange of views on matters of common interest within the scope of the treaty. On the military side, the strategic concept of the treaty has been adopted and a defense plan drawn up, and the corresponding estimate of the necessary forces is being established. The next step is to put these plans into effect by taking further measures in the direction of common defense, the division of finance responsibilities and the adaptation and development of the necessary forces.
In view of this situation, the council will in particular undertake the following tasks:
- A.
- Studying interrelationship of the various programs to support the plans for the defense of the North Atlantic area and ensure coordination of the work of the defense committee, the DFEC, and all other bodies established under the NATO;
- B.
- Recommend to governments the steps necessary to ensure that effect is given to the coordinated plans prepared for the defense of the North Atlantic area;
- C.
- Exchange views on political matters of common interest within the scope of the treaty;
- D.
- Promote and coordinate public information in furtherance of the objectives of the treaty, while leaving responsibility for national programs to each country;
- E.
- Consider what further action should be taken under article 2 of the treaty.
To enable the council effectively to carry out these responsibilities and to exercise them continuously, each government shall appoint a deputy to its council representative. Each deputy shall be in a position to give whatever time may be necessary to ensure that the responsibilities of the council are carried out effectively. In the intervals between meetings of Ministers, the deputies shall be responsible, on behalf of, and in the name of, the council, for carrying out its policies and for formulating issues requiring decisions by the member governments. They shall have the same responsibilities and powers as the council.
To assist the deputies in fulfilling their responsibilities, they shall establish a suitable fulltime organization composed of highly qualified persons contributed by member governments. In setting up the organization, provision shall be made for vigorous leadership thereof.
Member governments will appoint their deputies with the least possible delay in order that agreement may be reached by them, acting on behalf of their governments, on the type of organization required and the qualified persons required. It is contemplated that the deputies, assisted by the organization to be created, should begin functioning [in] the very near future in order that tangible results may be achieved before the next meeting of the Ministers, when the progress made will be reviewed. First priority in the work of the deputies and [Page 105] the organization should be given to points A and B above. The deputies will meet in blank. [End text.]3
Sent Department Secto 267, repeated Paris information 854. Pass to Secretary Defense.
- This text was the third revision of the resolution. The first was Annex A to Foreign Ministers Document MIN/TRI/P/28, p. 1103. The second was MIN/TRI/P/29 dated May 13, not printed, which was the same in substance as this text.↩
- In telegram Tosec 213 to London, May 16, the Acting Secretary of State transmitted a State–Defense message approving the text of this resolution with suggestions for two minor changes in wording and a request by the Department of Defense that it be given an “opportunity to comment on any new specific details in connection therewith that may have military implications, before acceptance by North Atlantic Council.” Tosec 213 not printed; 396.1 LO/5–1650.↩
- The last three paragraphs of this proposal were revised in Secto 298, May 17, as follows: In the first of these paragraphs, sentence 1, the words “these” and “shall” were changed to “its” and “will,” respectively. In the last paragraph, first sentence, the first use of “their” and the word “them” were changed to “its” and “the deputies,” respectively. Also, the first use of the word “required” was deleted. In the following sentence, the word “Ministers” was changed to “Council,” and, in the last sentence, the word “blank” was changed to “London.” (Secto 296, not printed; 396.1 LO/5–1750)↩