Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Western European Security, Volume V, Part 2

740.5/10–1954: Telegram

The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Aldrich) to the Embassy in France ¹

confidential

London, October 19, 1954—7 p.m.

287. Paris for Merchant and Reinhardt.² Eden’s initial predisposition to admit other nations to enlarged Brussels Treaty has been dissipated by Foreign Office opposition and cautious second thoughts on part of Norway and diffidence on part of Denmark. At present only Turkey is showing embarrassing signs that it may wish to join, though Greece and Yugoslavia are said to have been keeping door open.

It is to be expected that British will be very careful and gentle in manner in which they discourage Turks and all more so because of part they played initially in opposing Turkey’s entrance to NATO, but they will nevertheless, if pressed, refuse.

Dominating reason why HMG has come to this view is no doubt undesirability of possibly weakening NATO and therefore United States participation by creating parallel organization to include most Western European countries now members of NATO.

Aldrich

1. Repeated to Ankara and the Department of State as telegram 1965, which is the source text.
2. Merchant and Reinhardt were members of the U.S. Delegation which accompanied Dulles to Paris for the Nine-Power, Four-Power, and North Atlantic Council ministerial meetings.