Editorial Note

In a memorandum to the Secretary dated August 17, Merchant stated that General Collins would be briefing the Secretary on the NATO “New Approach” studies on August 19. Merchant enclosed copies of the Joint Chiefs of Staff letter to the Secretary of Defense, June 11, and the Appendix thereto entitled “Present Status of Arrangements With Foreign Countries Relating to the Use of Atomic Weapons” (neither printed), and summarized the contents of both documents in a brief paragraph. Merchant added his preliminary opinion that “we will have to make an all-out effort to accomplish as much of this program as we can without jeopardizing the political ties which make NATO a major deterrent to Soviet aggression”. The same day, Merchant sent a memorandum to the Under Secretary, the Deputy Under Secretary, Bowie, Smith of S/AE, MacArthur, Byroade of NEA, and Palmer and Wolf of RA informing them that they had also been invited to attend the restricted briefing given to the Secretary by General Collins on the morning of August 19. No record of General Collins’ briefing has been found in Department of State files. The Merchant memoranda to the Secretary and to the Under Secretary, et al. are in file 740.5/8–1654 and 8/1754.