Memorandum from Secretary of State George C. Marshall

DECLASSIFIED E. O. 11612, Sec. 3(E) and 5(D) or (E) TOP BECR Dept. of State letter, Aug. 9, 1973 By NLT- HC . NARS Date 7-11-75 Thank you for your personal message of March 4 which I have discussed with the President. We share your views as to the seriousness of the developments in Europe and as to the urgency of determining the best course to be adopted to prevent the expansion of the area of Communist dictatorship. We appreciate fully, I think, the dangers facing France and the other free countries of Europe. The deliberations in which representatives of France, Great Britain, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg are now engaged at Brussels will, I hope, result in comprehensive arrangements for the common defense of the participating nations. Such a result would appear to be an essential pre- requisite to any wider arrangement in which other countries including the United States might play a part. As soon as my Government has had an opportunity to study the agreements reached at Brussels, I will be ready to discuss with you and Mr. Bevin what further steps may be desirable. It might be wise to have a Benelux representative, and porhaps Gount Sforza included in the conversations. : ARCHIVES SERVICE" 'NATIONAL RECORDS AND BECRE