Telegram from Secretary of State Dean Acheson to President Harry S. Truman
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OCR Page 1 of 3NLT (PSF5055) 99
INCOMING TELEGRAM
Department of State
TELEGRAPH BRANCH
L
TOP SECRET
864
Action
Control: 5591
SS,
Rec'd: September 14, 1950
FROM: New York
10:54 a.m.
Info
DCR
TO:
Secretary of State
NO:
SECTO 8, September 14, 10:32 a.m.
NIACT
PERSONAL FOR THE PRESIDENT FROM ACHESON.
In discussions held during first two days Mr. Bevin,
Mr. Schuman and I have reviewed the general question of
establishment of forces for defense of Europe, possible
role of Germany in connection with these forces and reaction
of German public opinion, some other technical problems
with reference to Germany and the question of admitting
Greece and Turkey to the NATO. I have reviewed in detail
privately and together with both Ministers the views of
the US Government with respect to the establishment of
the defense forces, pointing out the great significance
of your decision to commit US troops to defense of Western
Europe and our feeling that this decision was dependent
upon establishment of total collective forces adequate
to the task of this defense.
Both Mr. Bevin and Mr. Schuman have expressed their deep
gratification over this decision but do not seem to me to
have yet grasped its full significance and implications
The major issue which has arisen so far has concerned the
utilization of German units in these forces for the defense
of Europe. Mr. Schuman has expressed the very strong and
firm opposition of his government to any decision which
would provide for the recreation of purely German military
units. He is apparently under firm instructions on this
point, and intimated that no French Government could face
the French Assembly or French public opinion with the
proposition of reestablishing at this time German units wa
which might in any way build the framework for the possible
recreation of a German army. Mr. Bevin did not support
our position, but he did not at least oppose it, and his
questions served to bring out very clearly and sharply the
issues which we have raised. There are intimations that
the British will be willing to go along, and we are meeting
privately this morning in an effort to find some formula
which the French
DECLASSIFIED
F.B.OF U.S. 1950 use. III
TOP SECRET
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