Word: nato
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1950-1959
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Truth was that it was too early for congratulations. The U.S. delegation had gone to Paris with some misconceptions about the temper of the rest of the NATO allies. In Washington shortly before leaving, Secretary of State Dulles had made it plain that he was counting on hard and fast acceptance of the U.S. plan to establish missile bases in Europe. Said he: "I don't favor these so-called agreements in principle." He had apparently given little weight to the talk of new East-West negotiations that had swept Europe in the wake of Russian Premier Bulganin...
Question of Strength. In this mood, the U.S. had taken to Paris proposals that were designed above all else to increase the military strength of the NATO alliance. Ike earnestly insisted that "we should leave no stone unturned in our search for an agreement to end this appalling armaments race," declared that the U.S. "proposes to increase the economic resources which we can make available to the less developed countries of the free world." But what primarily concerned the U.S. was the need for intermediate range ballistic missile bases in Europe...
Taking over from the President, Secretary of State John Foster Dulles spelled out the U.S. plan. The U.S: was prepared to make available to U.S. General Lauris Norstad. NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, a stock of intermediate range ballistic missiles. Norstad would assign the missiles to any NATO member that wanted them and, in his judgment, had need of them. To give the missiles nuclear punch in case of war with the U.S.S.R., the U.S. also proposed to establish stockpiles of nuclear warheads in Europe. But the warheads, unlike the missiles themselves, would remain in U.S. custody...
Unexpected Rejection. The U.S. had expected some NATO allies to reject the offer-notably Norway and Denmark, who have steadfastly refused to have U.S. bombers based on their soil. Norway's Einar Gerhardsen, a 60-year-old ex-road mender who was one of the five Socialist or quasi-Socialist Premiers among the 14 present in Paris, promptly met that expectation. Said Gerhardsen: "We have no plans in Norway to let atomic stockpiles be established on Norwegian territory, or to construct launching sites for intermediate range ballistic missiles." What was not expected was his next statement. Seizing...
Demonstrated Need. Clearly, canny old Konrad Adenauer was thinking of the widespread reluctance of Europe's voters to have missiles on their soil unless they were proved absolutely necessary. His implied intent: NATO should demonstrate that they were necessary, by making one more attempt to negotiate with the Russians. Hastily the U.S. delegation set to work reconciling its differences with its allies...