84. Telegram From the Embassy in the United Kingdom to the Department of State1
5415. For Secretary from Popper. Recognize that considerations of highest importance must have led to your decision to postpone your departure for NATO Ministerial.2 Nevertheless, news will be received by most other delegations with disappointment and by some, including Secretary-General, with deep dismay.
We know of course that Under Secretary will present US case on matters we wish to handle in NATO with fullest effectiveness. That is not the problem. It is rather that this sharp break from precedent comes at a time when the Alliance is under attack and when therefore Alliance morale is especially sensitive to what may seem to be signals of changing attitudes.
[Page 208]Our friends in NATO take comfort and gain conviction from your presence and your presentation. Their private exchanges of views with you have a tonic effect. Conversely, your absence will inevitably be used in some quarters to support view that our interest in Alliance is diminishing. In future other Ministers may be impelled without the same justification to absent themselves from Ministerial meetings. Next year or two may be critical for NATO; it would be most unfortunate time for such a trend to gain ground.
President’s May 7 speech3 has been extremely beneficial with our friends in Europe. To build on that foundation, hope you can plan a quick trip to attend as large a part of Ministerial meeting as possible, or at least make a brief appearance. It would be most helpful if the Under Secretary had some reassuring word from you to this effect which he could pass on to Secretary-General when they meet at noon Monday here.4
Amb. Finletter concurs.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, NATO 3 UK(LO). Confidential; Limdis. Passed to the White House.↩
- Because of the crisis in the Dominican Republic, Secretary Rusk initially told the U.S. Delegation to the NATO Ministerial meeting that he would not be able to attend the session. Rusk flew to London when the crisis eased, arriving on May 12.↩
- See footnote 3, Document 82.↩
- Telegram 5416 from London, May 9, transmitted a letter
from Secretary General Brosio to
Rusk saying that he understood
the “weighty reasons” that would keep the Secretary in Washington. At
the same time, he stressed the great importance that Rusk’s personal appearance would have,
especially since the present situation in the Alliance was subject to
misinterpretation by “ill-intentioned parties.” (Department of State,
Central Files, POL 7 S)
On May 10, Under Secretary Ball met with Brosio to discuss the forthcoming meeting. Ball told Brosio that while it was not a good time for a searching discussion of the future of the Alliance, he did plan to raise the issue and suggest that a fuller discussion take place at the December meeting. Ball also told Brosio that the United States wanted Vietnam and the Dominican Republic mentioned in the final communique, and Brosio in turn reviewed the Cyprus situation. (Secun 4 from London, May10; ibid., NATO 3 UK(LO))
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