Memorandum, State Department Summary of Telegrams

NLT (Naval A.dell20 the OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE WASHINGTON DECLASSIFIED 12065, Sec. 3-402 November 20, 1950 State Depl. E.O. Guidelines, March 6-12-85 6, 1982 By DEB NLT, Date TOPSECRET SUMMARY OF TELEGRAMS WESTERN EUROPE We have instructed our Deputy on the North Atlantic Council on the position he should take in the meeting of the Council Deputies today on the ques - tion of German participation in western European defense, which concurs in general with the course of action he had proposed but provides additional guidance with respect to: 1) the size of the German units to be contributed; 2) the need for the early appoint- ment of a Supreme Commander; and 3) the timing of various steps for the creation of a defense force. Our Deputy is to make it clear that nothing less than units of the minimum effective size, which in our view is a division, will be acceptable for integration into the NATO defense force; however, during the transitional period the German contribution could be in terms of smaller units provided it is clearly understood that these units must be assembled into divisional units for effective use as soon as the Supreme Commander determines that this is necessary. During the buildup phase, recruit- ment and training of German units, not carried out by the Supreme Commander, would be performed by a German Federal Agency con- trolled by the High Commissioners with the control of production and supply of pertinent military material being vested in the appropriate North Atlantic Treaty (NAT) agencies. While we would agree that the French would convene the European powers to negotiate on the creation of European political institutions and the eventual integration of mili- tary forces of a European rather than a national character into the NAT integrated force, integration of such forces would have to be contingent upon the European contribution being militaril effective. If the French should fail to obtain agreement on these political institutions by the time the Supreme Commander has determined that a decision with respect to the disposition of German units is required, it will be necessary for military reasons to proceed with the grouping of German units into German units of minimum effective size. This action would be without prejudice to future success which TOPSECRITI