Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Western European Security, Volume V, Part 1

740.5/12–1754: Telegram

The United States Delegation at the North Atlantic Council Meeting to the Department of State ¹

secret

Paris, December 17, 1954—9 p.m.

Secto 14. Cotel. Subject: NAC Ministerial Meeting Afternoon December 17.

Council completed consideration agenda items V through VII.² Will meet in restricted session Saturday morning on item VIII (communiqué).

Item V

Ismay suggested would be best for ministers say anything they wished to say about reference documents prior to consideration draft resolution on 1954 annual review.³

Canada⁴ made brief statement regarding recommendations made to them in annual review report along lines their written comments appearing in annex III their country chapter.

U.K. defense minister⁵ made short statement in which he emphasized desirability shortening annual review reports because of need for ministers to focus on essential points rather than details. Referred to assumptions on which U.K. future planning based; namely, that present level of defense costs will remain same and that financing of local costs of U.K. forces in Germany and receipts foreign aid will continue at levels indicated in U.K. annual review submission. U.K. now in process developing plans to reorganize its forces to take account of new weapons and strategy. After further development these plans and after bilateral discussions with U.S. and Canada regarding aid, but before presentation next defense budget to Parliament, U.K. will make further more detailed report to NATO.

Portuguese defense minister⁶ said that although they were ready to adopt draft 1954 annual review resolution, they were willing to do so subject to satisfactory solution to problem spelled out in CM (54) 120 re Portuguese Air Force goals.⁷

Secretary Anderson made statement on behalf U.S. (with full text being pouched)⁸ emphasizing importance U.S. attaches to implementation M.C. 48 and outlining principal considerations being taken into account in reorientation of future mutual defense assistance programs. Said U.S. would report in further detail on latter point early in New Year.

Turkish defense minister⁹ spoke favorably of secretary general’s commentary on 1954 annual review report. Also stated new concept adopted in M.C. 48 would not permit member countries to relax in continued development their defense efforts.

Canada¹⁰ commented briefly on prospects future Canadian mutual aid pointing out that henceforward they would concentrate on provision of modern equipment with spare parts as appropriate. Said Canada was now studying complicated problem of maintenance their production base and when this study completed would be able report in more detail regarding future end-item aid. Said should also be borne in mind that North America was becoming increasingly vulnerable to attack and prophesied there would be reduction in Canadian end-item aid next year. Added however that training and contributions to infrastructure, which occupied large part Canadian mutual aid program, would remain about same.

Italian defense minister¹¹ drew attention to reorganization plan reported in Italian annual review submission, stating Italian forces would be in greatly improved situation upon completion reorganization about three years hence. Said Italy would continue to depend on foreign aid and could not add to its defense expenditures. Italy accepted all recommendations in 1954 annual review report as general guidance and would seek to implement them within limits their financial capabilities.

Ismay then asked for comments on draft 1954 Annual Review resolution. There were none. Council then took note of 1954 Annual Review report and Secretary General’s comments and military committee’s comments, as well as statements made by ministers thereon. Council adopted draft resolution and also adopted U.S. suggestion that permanent council complete its negotiations on agreement re exchange atomic energy information in January 1955.

Council then took up draft resolution on 1955 Annual Review.¹² Netherlands Defense Minister¹³ commented on desirability improving Annual Review procedures. Mentioned importance Netherlands attached to participation of permanent delegations at early stage of Annual Review. Said Netherlands particularly liked paragraph 7 of draft 1955 Annual Review resolution and expressed hope permanent representatives would give this suggestion serious consideration which he believed it deserved. Said his government thought multilateral consideration important changes in contributions to NATO defense should be considered before such changes took place, if possible.

Secretary Anderson said U.S. wished to record its understanding that reference in paragraph 7 to “national contributions to NATO defense” refers to force contributions. Said U.S. also understood that scope of this study should be further clarified by agreement among permanent representatives. Assumed there was no disagreement with this interpretation. There was none.

Draft 1955 Annual Review resolution was then adopted without further comment. Secretary General pointed out it was understood permanent representatives would take full account of comments made on paragraph 7 by U.S. and Netherlands delegations.

Item VI

Portuguese Delegate¹⁴ said that they again wished inform NAC re situation Portuguese Provinces in India.¹⁵ Said economic blockade and “piracy” against Portuguese fishing fleet and merchant marine by Indian union was worsening. Said this was contrary article 2 U.N. charter. Said might have to raise matter before council under article 4 N.A. treaty.

Item VII¹⁶

Ismay called on chairman, Greek Foreign Minister,¹⁷ for comment re date and place next meeting. Greece proposed Athens. France, Italy, Portugal and US supported proposal, latter assuming necessary secretarial and technical help would be available. Ismay said if meeting confined to Foreign Ministers 120 members US could do job. Suggested Council agree in principle to holding meeting in Athens some time in April and invite Permanent Reps to work out details early next year.

1. Pouched to all NATO capitals and Bonn, Wiesbaden, and Heidelberg.
2. Item V: Report on 1954 Annual Review and Plans for 1955 Annual Review (see footnote 2, p. 520); Item VI: Other business; Item VII: Date and place of next meeting.
3. A copy of the Draft Resolution on the 1954 Annual Review, designated CM (54) 117, is in Conference files, lot 60 D 627, CF 417.
4. A verbatim record for this meeting is in Conference files, lot 60 D 627, CF 417, and indicates that the speaker was R. D. Campney, Minister of National Defense. Hereafter, the identification of all speakers has been made from the verbatim record.
5. Harold Macmillan.
6. Colonel Santos Costa.
7. A copy of CM (54) 120, memorandum by the Portuguese Delegation entitled “The Portuguese Air Force” is in Conference files, lot 60 D 627, CF 417.
8. The only verbatim record of Secretary Anderson’s remarks found in Department of State files is included in the verbatim record of the afternoon session of the Ministerial meeting, Dec. 17 in Conference files, lot 60 D 627, CF 417.
9. Fuad Köprülü.
10. C. D. Howe, Minister of Defense Production and of Trade and Commerce.
11. Paolo E. Taviani.
12. Designated CM (54) 118, a copy of which is in Conference files, lot 60 D 627, CF 417.
13. C. Staf.
14. Dr. Paulo Cunha.
15. Documentation on Gao is in the compilation on Portugal in volume vi .
16. The passage on Item VII (date and place of next meeting) omitted from source text. It has been added from the copy of telegram Secto 14 found in Conference files, lot 60 D 627, CF 423.
17. Stephanos Stephanopoulos.