Foreign Relations of the United States, 1950, Western Europe, Volume III

740.5 MAP/8–1750

Memorandum by the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Administration (Humelsine) to the Secretary of State

top secret

[Washington,] August 17, 1950.

1. Attached as Tab A is a paper which sets forth certain recommendations concerning the organization needed to provide direction for the MDAP, to coordinate our NATO and MDAP efforts, and to support the Deputy U.S. Representative to the North Atlantic Council (Mr. Spofford). These recommendations involve the relations of the Department of State to the Department of Defense and to EGA. This paper has been thoroughly discussed in the Department but has not been taken up with the Department of Defense.¹

2. At the present time, the Department of Defense has under consideration certain other proposals made by the Department of State that are closely linked to NAT and MDAP. These proposals include the following:

(a) The establishment of a European Defense Force and the extent to which the U.S. will participate in and support that Defense Force.

(b) The selection of an American to be the Commander in Chief of the European Defense Force.

(c) The creation of a body to allocate production and supplies for the European Defense Force and the selection of an American to head it.

3. The Department of Defense regards the proposals set forth in Paragraph 2 above as purely military in nature. There appears to be little disposition on the part of the Department of Defense to recognize that decisions made with respect to the substance of Paragraph 2 must be made in terms of our foreign policy.

4. A further item relating to NATO and MDAP which is still pending concerns Mr. Spofford’s terms of reference. To date, Mr. Spofford has not been provided with terms of reference because those proposed are being held up by the Department of Defense.

5. The matters concerning our NATO and MDAP efforts now before Defense, referred to in Paragraphs 2 and 4, and the paper attached as Tab A are on dead center at the moment. What is required are decisions on certain basic propositions, which include the following:

(a) Does this government desire to create a European Defense Force and, if so, to what extent are we willing to participate in and support it?

(b) Is this government prepared to give whole-hearted support to the NATO, and how are our efforts in Europe through the NATO to be related to our obligations under the UN Charter?

(c) The Department of State must be recognized as the Department of the government having primary responsibility for formulating foreign policy and that it is the department through which our relations with foreign governments are conducted.

6. If our objectives are defined, the problem of how to organize to do the job is simplified. The attached paper provides for the coordination and direction of the NAT and MDAP in a manner consistent with the responsibilities and authorizations given to the Secretary of State by Executive Order. However, the organization proposed would function with difficulty if the basic decisions referred to above are not made.

1. This paper, attached as Tab A to the source text, is not printed. The title of the paper is “Draft Letter from the President to the Secretary of State.” No final, signed copy of the letter has been found in the Department of State files.