109. Letter From the Secretary of Defense (Wilson) to the Secretary of State1
Dear Mr. Secretary: Reference is made to a letter from the Assistant Secretary of Defense (ISA) to you dated 2 April 1956,2 which forwarded the views of the Joint Chiefs of Staff concerning U.S. adherence to the Baghdad Pact.
The Department of Defense has further studied this matter and considers that early adherence to the Baghdad Pact, or at least an indication of our intention to do so, may well be necessary to avoid disintegration of the Pact Organization. Such disintegration would have extremely serious consequences for the security of the Free World and of the United States.
It is recognized that there are political and other obstacles to immediate adherence as well as implications for increased aid to the countries concerned. However, the Department of Defense considers this matter to be of such critical importance as to warrant review at the highest level.
For the foregoing reasons I consider that action should be initiated which would facilitate our adherence to the Baghdad Pact at the earliest feasible time.
I am also conveying the substance of these views to the National Security Council.3
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 780.5/4–556. Top Secret.↩
- See footnote 1, Document 104.↩
- Secretary Wilson transmitted the JCS memorandum (Document 104) to Lay on April 5 under cover of a memorandum. (Department of State, S/S–NSC Files: Lot 63 D 351, NSC Memoranda) Lay sent both to the NSC on April 9. (Ibid.)↩