Editorial Note
Secretary Dulles and members of the United States Delegation, which included Secretaries Humphrey and Wilson and Director Stassen and their principal advisers, left Washington on December 11 for the North Atlantic Council ministerial meeting in Paris which was scheduled to begin on December 14. In a statement at departure from National Airport, Dulles said that this was to be a working meeting where past progress would be reviewed and plans made for the future. Dulles stressed further the need for strong and loyal NATO allies with whom the United States would work confidently. For the text of his statement and a list of the members of the United States Delegation, see Department of State Bulletin, December 21, 1953, pages 854–855.
In preparation for the session of the Council the Department of State drafted on October 20 a tentative list of papers to be prepared for the United States Delegation. (NACOM Memo 1, CFM files, lot M 88, box 166) In November a Steering Group was established consisting of representatives from the Departments of State, Treasury, Defense, and the Foreign Operations Administration to consider the various position papers, and suggest revisions or amendments. By December 8 the list of papers, designated NACOM D in the records of the United States Delegation, had been approved and divided into five series corresponding roughly to the agenda for the Council meeting. The first series, NACOM D–1, covered various aspects of the Secretary General’s approach; the second, NACOM D–2, dealt with the international political situation as it affected NATO; the third, NACOM D–3, considered the military progress of NATO and the estimate of military risk; the fourth, NACOM D–4, addressed itself to the Annual [Page 455] Review; and the fifth, NACOM D–5, covered any other business. Copies of these papers, none of which are printed, are in the Conference files, lot 60 D 627, CF’s 170, 171, 173, and 175, and in the CFM files, lot M 88, box 166.
On October 28 the North Atlantic Council approved the following agenda
for the Ministerial meeting:
The documentation that follows presents materials on the North Atlantic Council meetings and conversations which Secretary Dulles had with foreign officials on matters of mutual concern.