740.5/8–1750: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom
priority
890. For Amb from Perkins. Cirtel being sent other NATO Missions requesting confirmation govts agree discuss replies Depcirtel Jul 22 at second session Deps. UK only country which has stated full substance reply not to be made available NATO.
I am sure you will agree US shld not acquiesce in this position or engage in secret bilateral negots within NATO framework. As you immediately foresaw, the Brit dol aid request (which promptly leaked) has had deterrent effect upon level of effort.
[Page 225]While UK will not relish NATO discussion in which US must make clear cannot accept all conditions placed by UK and others on offers and must indicate not satisfied UK has done all it can, believe you shld convey our conviction Deps must come to grips with problem, which requires tabling of country positions.1 Under circumstances US can hardly refrain from discussion sought by and expected by other nations even if UK adheres to position amount and conditions upon dollar aid underlying its additional program shld be secret shared only by US. [Perkins.]
- Ambassador Douglas, in his telegram 1124 of August 22, not printed, informed Perkins that Holmes had made a strong approach on this matter to Sir Pierson Dixon, Deputy Under Secretary of State, Foreign Office, and Acting NATO Deputy Representative. Dixon objected to multilateral discussion of the British reply but agreed to raise the question in the Foreign Office. (740.5/8–2250) In a follow-up report, Depto 55 of August 22, midnight, not printed, Spofford said the Foreign Office agreed to circulation of the public version of the U.K. reply but required more time to consider the advisability of discussing the reply in the NATO meeting of Deputies (740.5/8–2250). At Dixon’s suggestion, Spofford and Holmes were scheduled to discuss the matter further with Bevin the following day.↩