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J SECRET
-2-
THENED
ARCHIVES 'NATIONAL AND
RECORDS
when the Danish Defense Minister presented his amendment to
the original text, which had referred specifically to atomic
antitos
weapons, it seemed plain that if the Danish amendment had been
accepted without comment it might have been implied that the
change in the text carried with it the implication that by this
change a decision was being made not to use a particular type
of weapon. Obviously, no such decision was being made nor was
the question before the Ministers. Mr. Johnson had made this
clear. It was not my understanding from reading the transcript
that Mr. Johnson had gone further than this or intended to go
further than this. I asked him whether I was right and whether
it was his impression that his colleagues had so understodd. He
said I was right and that he was sure that all present had so
understood the discussion.
I said that it was most important that he and I should under -
stand the situation in exactly the same way because of at least
two possibilities which might occur. One such possibility was
that at the meeting of the North Atlantic Council called to approve
the Ministers' decisions, someone might ask whether the trans-
cript carried with it the implication that a decision had been
made or a commitment had been made to use a particular type
of weapon. To that my answer would be no - that the sole decision
made had been that one of the tasks in the strategic concept and
the task assigned primarily to the United States was to insure the
ability to deliver any and all weapons. I asked whether Mr. John-
son would clear that my answer was right. He said that he was
entirely clear that it was right.
I then said that at some time on the Hill some member of the
Congress might ask whether there was any commitment, expressed
or implied, moral or otherwise, to use any particular type of
weapon in strategic bombing. To that I would reply no - that we
had scrupulously observed the provisions of the North Atlantic
Treaty and had not gone beyond its provisions in committing
either the Executive Branch or the Congress. Mr. Johnson was
also clear that I was entirely right in making such a statement.
During the conversation, I thought that Mr. Johnson had said
something which meant that one of the tasks assigned to the United
States had been the manufacture of all possible types of weapons.
I returned to this matter in order to be quite sure that he was not
DECLASSIFIED
E. O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and S(D) or (E)
Dept. of State letter,
By NLT- He NARS Date 4.2976
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"ocrText": "J SECRET\n-2-\nTHENED\nARCHIVES 'NATIONAL AND\nRECORDS\nwhen the Danish Defense Minister presented his amendment to\nthe original text, which had referred specifically to atomic\nantitos\nweapons, it seemed plain that if the Danish amendment had been\naccepted without comment it might have been implied that the\nchange in the text carried with it the implication that by this\nchange a decision was being made not to use a particular type\nof weapon. Obviously, no such decision was being made nor was\nthe question before the Ministers. Mr. Johnson had made this\nclear. It was not my understanding from reading the transcript\nthat Mr. Johnson had gone further than this or intended to go\nfurther than this. I asked him whether I was right and whether\nit was his impression that his colleagues had so understodd. He\nsaid I was right and that he was sure that all present had so\nunderstood the discussion.\nI said that it was most important that he and I should under -\nstand the situation in exactly the same way because of at least\ntwo possibilities which might occur. One such possibility was\nthat at the meeting of the North Atlantic Council called to approve\nthe Ministers' decisions, someone might ask whether the trans-\ncript carried with it the implication that a decision had been\nmade or a commitment had been made to use a particular type\nof weapon. To that my answer would be no - that the sole decision\nmade had been that one of the tasks in the strategic concept and\nthe task assigned primarily to the United States was to insure the\nability to deliver any and all weapons. I asked whether Mr. John-\nson would clear that my answer was right. He said that he was\nentirely clear that it was right.\nI then said that at some time on the Hill some member of the\nCongress might ask whether there was any commitment, expressed\nor implied, moral or otherwise, to use any particular type of\nweapon in strategic bombing. To that I would reply no - that we\nhad scrupulously observed the provisions of the North Atlantic\nTreaty and had not gone beyond its provisions in committing\neither the Executive Branch or the Congress. Mr. Johnson was\nalso clear that I was entirely right in making such a statement.\nDuring the conversation, I thought that Mr. Johnson had said\nsomething which meant that one of the tasks assigned to the United\nStates had been the manufacture of all possible types of weapons.\nI returned to this matter in order to be quite sure that he was not\nDECLASSIFIED\nE. O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and S(D) or (E)\nDept. of State letter,\nBy NLT- He NARS Date 4.2976"
}