740.5/6–1950
The British Ambassador (Franks) to the Secretary of State
Dear Mr. Secretary: I have had a telegram from Mr. Bevin asking me to convey the following personal message to you:
“I am much concerned about the delays over setting up the Committee of Deputies of the North Atlantic Council. When we discussed this measure in May we all felt that the need to instil vitality into the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation was an urgent one and the thought in our minds was that the Deputies should meet and start their work of co-ordination within a very few weeks. We gave the same impression to public opinion in our communiqué. A month has now passed without anything happening and there is growing pressure here to know the reasons for delay. I am afraid the impression may soon gain ground that our expressions of urgency and determination last month were window-dressing only.
Our military authorities have been conscious for some time of the need to vitalise the Brussels Treaty Defence Organisation and to find methods of co-ordinating its work more closely with North Atlantic Treaty Planning and in particular with the work of the other two European groups. They have worked out proposals to this end, but
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naturally feel that they cannot make progress until the Council of Deputies has been established and can be consulted, and the delay over this is therefore holding up their plans and having a depressing effect.
I entirely understand that you may be having difficulties in deciding on the nomination of your Deputy, and I do not want to rush you; but it is clear that the other countries are awaiting a lead from you and that nothing effective can be done until your Deputy is nominated and has taken up his duties.
I am sure you share my view that it would be a most serious thing if the impulse which we gave to the North Atlantic Treaty at our London meeting were to be lost at a moment when great additional efforts by all of us are required to preserve the security of the West.”
Yours sincerely,