Editorial Note
Secretary of State Acheson, British Foreign Secretary Morrison, and French Foreign Minister Schuman, and their advisers held a series of bilateral and trilateral meetings on a wide range of international problems in Washington, September 10–14. During the first trilateral meeting on September 12, the three Foreign Ministers discussed progress in the policy of containment of the Soviet Union and its satellites and agreed that there should be a combined study of the Far East and the Middle East where there was a gap in the means available to the Western powers to formulate policies for the effective containment of the Soviet Union. Morrison stressed the importance of taking no action toward the Soviet Union which might inadvertently precipitate a third world war. Schuman agreed with Morrison and suggested that the Soviet Union must not be made to think that it was being encircled and [Page 1649] the Western powers should not attempt a policy which would result in the disruption of their economies. Acheson agreed with the other Foreign Ministers and urged the proposed study of the Far and Middle East be aimed at seeking ways to prevent the Western powers from being identified with the opponents of nationalism and to place in constructive channels the forces in the Middle East which were ripe for extreme nationalist and communist agitation. For the record of the meeting referred to here (U.S.–Tri. Min–1, September 12, 1951), see volume III, Part 1, page 1257.
The North Atlantic Council held its Seventh Session in Ottawa, September 15–20. The First Meeting, September 15, was largely devoted to a review of the world situation. Foreign Secretary Morrison noted that there were grounds for satisfaction that the policy of containing the Soviet Union was proving effective. He urged the necessity of political leadership in the West and indicated the utility of effective propaganda against the Soviet Union. Secretary of State Acheson presented a résumé of the Soviet power system, indicated that the Western economic policy in Europe had been most successful and that military efforts were proceeding well. He noted that the Far East and the Middle East were areas vulnerable to Soviet power. (Telegram Secto 6 from Ottawa, September 16) At its last meeting on September 20, the North Atlantic Council adopted a resolution requesting the Military Committee to include in its report to the next session of the Council an estimate of the relative strength and capabilities of NATO and Soviet bloc forces currently and in the immediate future. (Telegram Secto 28 from Ottawa, September 20) For documentation on the Seventh Session of the North Atlantic Council, including the messages referred to here, see volume III, Part 1, pages 616 ff.