Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Western Europe and Canada, Volume VI, Part 1

740.5 MSP/2 1352: Telegram

No. 4
The Acting Secretary of State to the Legation in Switzerland¹

secret

Washington, February 19, 1952—6:47 p.m.

1081. Re Bern’s 1005, rptd London 71, Paris 88, which being rptd Vienna and Stockholm.²

Dept does not desire modify NATO–OEEC relationship in manner which wld result in withdrawal Switz, Austria, or Sweden from OEEC and Todep 560, rptd Paris 4723³ shld be so construed (Todep 560, on which Depintel Feb 12 based being rptd Vienna, Stockholm, Bern). What Dept has in mind is that work of OEEC if it is to be realistic must necessarily take into account econ impact of defense effort and that much of what OEEC does can make contribution to NATO. Relationship with NATO wld remain on informal basis and autonomy and independence OEEC preserved. Essential prob is one of clarification usefulness OEEC rather than basic change.

Bern, Vienna and Stockholm pls comment on probable reactions FonOff to proposed relationship.

Dep desires avoid on one hand conflict and duplication efforts and on other hand eventual atrophy OEEC and consequent narrowing of geographic area of coop.

Webb

1. Drafted by Vance and Lyons, cleared with Camp, Foster, Ronhovde, Byington, Allen, Scott, Dawson, Kaplan, and Gordon, and repeated for action to Vienna and Stockholm and for infomation to London and Paris.
2. Not printed; in it Ambassador Patterson warned the Department of State that Switzerland would withdraw from OEEC if it became the economic arm of NATO. He stated that Switzerland does not object too strongly to covert cooperation between OEEC and NATO but would leave OEEC if the cooperation was brought too far into the open. (740.5 MSP/2–1352)
3. Supra.