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Synopsis D, The Development of NATO, Sept 1949-Jan 1950
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- Parte de Dean Acheson Papers, Princeton Seminars Files
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THE DEVELOPMENT OF NATO -- Sept. 1949 - Jan. 1950
Synopsis D
First session of the
The Council established by Article 9 of the
North Atlantic Council
North Atlantic Treaty held its first session
TRUMAN
in Washington on Sept. 17. A subsequ ent
ARCHIVES S. NATIONAL AND.
communique set forth the lines of organization
through which plans and defenses for the North
KcCORDS
SERVICE"
Atlantic community were to be developed. Among
E. COVERAGE
the major decisions were the following:
Organizational decisions
The Council defined its own responsibility as
the consideration of "all matters concerning the
implementation of the provisions of the Treaty. "
It arranged "Ito meet in ordinary session annually
and at such other times as may be deemed desirable
by the majority of the parties. " The Council was
to be composed of foreign ministers or their re-
presentatives.
The Council set up a Defense Committee and
instructed it "immediately to take the requisite
steps to have drawn up unified defense plans for
the North Atlantic area. 11 This committee was to
be composed of one representative from each
party, normally the defense minister. Its task
was to "recommend measures for the implementation
of Articles 3 and 5 in accordance with general
policy guidance given by the Council. "
The Council suggested to the Defense Committee the
general outline of the subsidiary military bodies
which it considered appropriate to aid it in its
task. It recommended the establishment of a
Military Committee, a subcommittee of that body,
to be known as the "Standing Group, and five
Regional Planning Groups.
The Military Committee was normally to be composed
of chiefs of staff and its task was to "provide
general policy guidance of a military nature to
its Standing Group; advise the Defense Committee
and other agencies on military matters as ap-
propriate; and recommend to the Defense Committee
military measures for the unified defense of the
North Atlantic Area.
The task of the Standing Group, which would
function continuously, would be; (1) "in ac-
cordance with general policy guidance provided
by the Military Committee, to provide such spe-
cific policy guidance and information of a mili-
tary nature to the Regional Planning Groups and
any other bodies of the organization as is neces-
sary for their work;" (2) to "coordinate and
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