740.5/11–1551
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Deputy Director of the Office of Greek, Turkish, and Iranian Affairs (Dorsz)
Subject: Possible Senate Attitude towards Greek-Turkish Participation as Observers in Rome NAC Meeting
I asked Mr. Brown for his opinion of possible Senate reaction if we should authorize Ambassador Spofford to go along with the recommendation of the UK delegate supported by most of the other NAC deputies that Greece and Turkey be invited to send observers to the Rome NAC meeting. Mr. Brown thought that our concurrence would adversely affect our ability to get early Senate consent to the protocol. Some Senators already oppose expanding United States commitments [Page 711] to the extent required in the admission of Greece and Turkey to NATO. We must, therefore, be careful not to take any action which would seem to prejudge Senate approval of the protocol.
After talking to Mr. Wilcox of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Mr. Brown told me that Mr. Wilcox had suggested that we consider the following formula if (1) we find ourselves alone in objecting to the presence of Greek and Turkish observers at Rome, and (2) this position proves embarrassing. In such case, we might say that the United States would interpose no objection to inviting the Greeks and the Turks. However, we would have to record the fact that the presence of such observers might prejudice our getting quick Senate ratification of the protocol. Further, we would want the Council of Deputies to know that we might later have to inform the Senate of the reasons for our action.