740.5/8–1750
The Secretary of Defense (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
Dear Mr. Secretary: I refer to the Department of State’s letter of 16 August and its enclosed paper on the establishment of a European Defense Force.1
[Page 227]With regard to the rearmament of Germany, I note that this paper represents a substantial modification of the position taken by the Department of State in NSC 71/1 (Rearmament of Western Germany).2 As you know, the National Security Council is still seized of this problem. Further studies are in process in this Department with a view to an early resolution of the question by the National Security Council Senior Staff, Your Department’s position, as expressed in this paper, will be taken into consideration in connection with these studies.
Your paper, however, raises much broader questions in connection with the establishment of a European Defense Force. As you will appreciate, a number of difficult and gravely important military problems are involved, which have been under study here for several months.
The Department of Defense will expedite the completion of its studies and will furnish its comments on your proposals as quickly as practicable.
In view, however, of the difficulty of the problems and the far-reaching importance of the answers, it is not possible that this can be accomplished prior to Mr. Spofford’s departure.
Sincerely yours,