222. Editorial Note
The 32d Ministerial Meeting of the North Atlantic Council was held at Paris, December 16–17. Leading the U.S. Delegation to the meeting were Secretaries Rusk and McNamara who presented the Council with a message from President Johnson. In two restricted sessions on December 16, the Council discussed the international situation. At the third and fourth sessions on December 17, the Ministers considered military questions and adopted a final communiqué. The U.S. Delegation reported on these meetings in Polto 864 and Polto Circulars 49–51, December 17. (Department of State, Central Files, NATO 3 FR(PA)) Memoranda of the conversation between members of the U.S. Delegation and foreign officials together with the telegrams to and from the delegation are ibid., Conference Files: Lot 66 D 110, CF 2345, 2346, and 2354. The text of Rusk’s remarks on the international situation was transmitted as an enclosure to circular airgram 6352, December 20 (ibid., Central Files, NATO 3 FR(PA)); the texts of his remarks and those of Secretary McNamara on the military situation were transmitted as enclosures to circular airgram 6354, December 20 (ibid.). For texts of President Johnson’s message to the Council and the final communiqué, see American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1963, pages 436–439.
[Page 640]In commenting on the meeting Secretary Rusk said that it “had gone very well” and “he had the feeling that differences within the Alliance were less grave than the public assumed, and had been narrowed down.” (Secto 34 from Paris, December 17; Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 66 D 110, CF 2345)