740.5/7–1451
Draft Anglo-United States Agreement Prepared by the United Kingdom Representative on the Standing Group (Elliot)1
Command in the Mediterranean and the Middle East
The U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, together with representatives of the Department of State and representatives of the British Embassy and British Joint Services Mission, suggest that the following tentative [Page 560] proposals be put to Governments regarding Command in the Mediterranean, South East Europe and the Middle East:—
(1) Greece and Turkey should be admitted as full members of NATO subject in the case of the latter to Turkish agreement to play a full part in the defense of the Middle East under an Allied Middle East Command.
(See below.)
(2) There should be an Allied Middle East Command on the Headquarters of which will be included, U.S., U.K., Commonwealth, French and Turkish officers. This Headquarters would command such forces as members of NATO and their associates made available for the defence of the Middle East area, it being understood that at this time no U.S. forces would be so available.
(3) The Middle East Command will be closely associated with NATO by means of a special system of control, the form of which will require elaboration in further detail. This should be effected by the action of the four NATO members of the Middle East command, namely France, Turkey, U.K., and U.S.A., whose representatives might meet in Washington.
(4) There should be a Supreme Allied Commander, Middle East, who should be a British officer. The U.S. will use their good offices to make this proposal acceptable to the Turks. Consideration should be given to offering the Turks some high appointment in the Command Organisation.
(5) The Headquarters of the Supreme Allied Commander, Middle East, should if possible be located in Egypt. Egypt should be offered participation in the Command Organisation in return for placing the necessary facilities at the disposal of NATO forces.
(6) Greece will form part of SACEUR’s Command but be represented at the Allied Headquarters, Middle East, by a liaison mission.
(7) Turkey will form part of SACME’s Command but will be represented at Headquarters, Allied Forces, Southern Europe, by a liaison mission.
(8) In the Mediterranean, the C-in-C, Allied Forces, Southern Europe (who is also C-in-C, U.S. Naval Forces, Mediterranean), and the C-in-C, British Mediterranean Fleet will each control his own forces and bases and will be responsible for the security of his own sea communications, subject to such joint allocations of area responsibilities as may be mutually agreed upon from time to time. Each would maintain liaison at the other’s Headquarters.
(9) In order to obtain the voluntary co-operation of Middle Eastern countries in the defence of the Middle East, there should be established a Middle East Defence Board, consisting of political and military representatives of the U.S., U.K., France, and Turkey. These four countries would invite countries able and willing to contribute substantially to the defence of the area to be associated with them on the board. Consideration should be given to the manner in which the Commonwealth countries should be associated with the Middle East Defence Board. There should be individual liaison arrangements between the Board and the Middle East states not represented thereon. The Board would be responsible to the countries participating in its [Page 561] membership. The Board would act in an advisory and consultative capacity to national agencies and also to SACME.
(10) Any action towards the establishment of the Middle East Defence Board must await the admission of Turkey to NATO.
- A covering memorandum by Admiral Sherman dated July 14 stated that the source text was handed to him by Air Marshal Elliot, and that Sherman had examined the source text, considered it “satisfactory from a military point of view.” Admiral Sherman added, however, that it was doubtful if Egypt would agree to subparagraph (5). Sherman recommended that the U.S. Representative on the Standing Group, Admiral Wright, be instructed to agree to Standing Group action along the lines of the British draft “insofar as its military features are concerned.” Political features of the draft would have to be resolved on the political level. (740.5/7–1451) The source text and Admiral Sherman’s memorandum were sent to Deputy Under Secretary of State Matthews, Admiral Wright, RA, and S/ISA. An undated covering memorandum conveying these documents from RA to S/ISA reads: “Mr. Cabot, I understand this to be the latest paper submitted by UK to Standing Group, Ed Martin.” Italicized portions printed here are in the source text.↩