Memorandum of Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson, Secretary of Defense George C. Marshall, General Omar Bradley, Philip Jessup, H. Freeman Matthews, Robert Lovett, Frank Nash, and Colonel Royden Bebee, Jr.

431 TOP SECRER coof € 201 ARCHIVES AND RECORD$ SERVICE" New July 16, 1951 This morning we had a meeting at the Pentagon on my memorandum entitled German Rearmament and Problems of the Defense of Europe. Messrs. Jessup and M tthews attended with me. General Marshall had with him Mr. Lovett, General Bradley, Frank Nash and Colonel Bebee. I reviewed the problem of the memorandum, which was to find a method of making progress on European rearmament which would reconcile the French, German and United States points of view. The concept of the European army or the European defense force seemed to furnish such a possibility. 1 stressed the importance of going forward simultanebusly with the European defense force idea, the restoration of German sovereignty, and the raising of German troops. The discussion lasted approxi- mately an hour, much of it devoted to clarifying possible misunderstandings. Mr. Jessup read a telegram received this morning reporting the latest decisions of the Steering Committee of the European defense force talks in Paris, General Marshall read views ex- pressed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and by General Eisenhower on the earlier telegram along these lines. The principal concerns of the Defense representatives were: First, To get as early a start as possible on the raising of German forces. They believed this was essential to continuing Congressional support of MDAP. Second, they did not wish a European army to interfere in any way with the organization and management of General Eisenhower's forces. The recent telegram from Paris seemed to meet many of their fears in this regard. Third, they stressed the importance of our not being trapped into a position where we would have accepted the European army as a step which must proceed any other action, thereby de- proving ourselves of any freedom of action and putting ourselves entirely in the hands of the French. DECLASSIFIED E. O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and S(D) m Dept. of State letter, Aug 5-6-2075 SECREE By NLT- HC NARS Date 6.25.76