154. Editorial Note
On August 11 Secretary of Defense McNamara wrote to Secretary of State Rusk proposing a series of limited attendance conferences between the two Departments to concert the planning with respect to NATO. (Department of State, Central Files, 110.11–RU/10–462) Rusk agreed to the idea in a letter of September 5 and the first meeting was scheduled for October 11. (Attachments to McNamara’s letter of August 11)
In addition to the two Secretaries, the meeting, which was held in Rusk’s conference room beginning at 10 a.m. and running through lunch until 4 p.m., was attended by Generals Taylor and Lemnitzer, Nitze, Johnson, Bundy, Tyler, Schaetzel, Bowie, and Finletter. In the course of the session the participants discussed MRBMs, forward strategy, application of the Political Directive, MLF, force goals, and NATO reorganization, and concluded that until the question of British membership in the Common Market had been decided, no initiative should be taken in NATO on any of these questions, but further education of the Alliance on the trends in U.S. thinking should be continued. A 30-page record of the meeting, drafted by Schaetzel, is ibid., 740.5/10–1062.
At a second meeting on November 30 the Secretaries discussed the strategy for the forthcoming NATO Ministerial Meeting. In the discussion on the MLF McNamara stated his belief that the position of the United States was ambiguous since some officials were selling it, while others were pouring cold water on the idea. At the same time Rusk stressed that the Allies had not faced up to the problems of control and command, and he foresaw great difficulties ahead. According to Lemnitzer’s [Page 447] notes on the meeting, McNamara stressed repeatedly that the United States was weakening its position within the Alliance and not giving it proper leadership. The Allies would not buy both a conventional build-up and an MRBM force. (National Defense University, Lemnitzer Papers, Box 29, L-216–71)