- _ - - TbiB c oC llllent oonslsts of ___1__ Pff'-t oavr ao __ _ ot - i - Ser1e 74 DRA FT SfAE GCSmith bb 8 12 54 TOP SECRET o MEMCll At'DUM OF NE -OTlA'l'lONS LOOKING TO OBTAINING STORAGE AND USE RIGHTS FOil A'l'llD C iEAPONS IN WESTERN GERMANY 1 On May J 1954 the Secretary of Defense asked the Secretary of State to arranee for the storage of complete w_eapons in Western Germany In addition he requested that the unrestricted r ight to use such weapons should he sought if in the opinion of the Secretary of State it was feasihlP to do so at this time 2 Dy lP tter of May 12 advice from Amh ssador Conant was ought as to the manner i nd timing of an approach to Adenauer on these two points _ 'i J o ' By letter of May 20 Arnhassador Conant indicated rel uctance to pproach Adenauer until after the EDC prohlem was closer to solution Conant advised that if the military urgency was sufficient nuclear - l yo -0 weapons should he stored in ' -lest Germany under our rights as an Occupying P1weroo - 1' 1 _ Y' x4 B' letter of July 7 Conant was advised hy this office that the ' ited States proposed to introduce atomic weapons under its rights as an i Occupying Power and he was requested to inform Adenauer of this decision at an appropriate time Connnt was also requested to take up with Adenauer the question of arr ineei ents for the storace and use of nu lear weapons _ durinr the Post - Contractuals period 5 B'J telegr m No 106 dated July 12 Conant advised that on July 12 and pri or to receipt of S 1F 1 s lett r of July 7 referred to above he had o ' o - DECLASSIAED Authorlty c - c By rA cl NARA Oat 1--- _ __ 1 -- TOP SECREl - - 2- infomed Adenauer orally of our intention to i ntroduce nuclear components y for artillery mells to U S l--ases in Western Germany Commt also asked Adenauer for assuranceo that the U S would have the right to store and in an emereency to use atomic wear ons from U S bases i n Germany after the Eonn Convnetions come into e f fect Conant said that he would present Adenauer with a formal request on this score Adenauer took note of our intention to introduce nuclear c01nponents of artillery shells in the near future and said he would like to consider t he request for future storage and use r ights 6 By Department telegraM No 179 dated July 20 Conant was asked to delay presenting Adenauer nth the formal request mentioned ahove and to del ay further negotiAtions until receipt of Department instructions 7 Bonn telegran No 253 of July 24 signed by Dowling reports t '1at prior to receipt of Dcpartr ient telegram 179 mentioned above Hallstein has approve- askinc that no writ ten formc l rP quest be presented to Chancellor 11 It is assumed that this approval refers to U S storage and use of atomic weapons in 'est Germany in the Post-Occupation period In addition Hallstein sug ested that no further written agreement was needed on this score since the reserve- powers and milltary rights in the Bonn Conventions could he interpreted to ve such rights without fonnal consent of the Garr tan GoverruMnt 8 Do o line also stated that if the Department considers that Hallstein' s formula meets our rerJttirenients he could discuss the suhject again ld th y Apparently Conant din not umerstand that it is our intention to introduce at0111ic weapons of a numh er of types and not merely nuclear component s for artillery shells DATTHE_ ' tlONAl AA s _ C oo o o - - ir a o ' DECLASSIFIED o ' d Authorily J1 Y v z a J- ----- __ _ _ _ _ __ - By t 11 n ir - NARA Dalo 'AO f Q -3Adenauer in order to make cert in that Adenauer accepts this interpretation of the reserved powers in the Bonn Conventions 9 In view of this record it was proposed by EUR and S AE with the concurrence of DOD staff rt presentatives that Conant be advised to approach Adenauer in an attelllJ t to confir n Hallstein's interpretation and to amplify i t so as to ensure that not only would the United States have the right to s tore and use nuclear weapons frOIII U S hases in Western Germany but also to store move and use nucle11r weapons from any place 1n the territory of the Federal Repuhlic 10 Hcwever it is Mr Phleger' s view t hat since under the Bonn Conventions the u retains the right to store and use weapons and since the Conventions make no distinction hetween rights involvine atomic weapons and riahts imool ving conventional weapons-- rom a legal point of view the Gemans need not he asked for an interpretation of the scope of tAe- eeepe of t he reserved powers and militarJ rights He helieves that by asking for such rif hts we may he construine the Conventions in a manner prejudicial to our own rights The United States should asswue that it has the rights which the Department of Defense orip inal ly requested and no further consent from the West Geman Goverrunen is necessary 11 Therefore the quest ion is -- should the U S rely on an inter- pret ition of t he reserved powers and military ri hts under the Bonn Conventions or is some further effort to ohtain German consent desirable in light of th' preli linary steps that have already been taken by ConilTit with Adenauer and Hallstein TOP SECR l o 1o fU PP 00UCGBP0At o - fHE HATtONAI - ARCHIVES - - - ' - - ' - f f P - SECRF 1 -hRECOM -IE -IDA'l'ION That ner otiations wit h tho G' rmnns be dropped and t he 00D he ed advised t hat the rir ht w' i ich tl ey aslv this Department to ohtain on Mny J alre uiy exist an t t hat no furthP r co11unit 111ents from the Ger mans are necessary lt should re pointed out t o the Secretflr y of OP fensc that this request of 11 zy J takPn l it rally cov r rl tor ar e 'l ld us e rip ht s for all of West GP rm u y Ccrt d nly t-hP r ir h t s arising tutrl r our status as an Qt c11pyinP Pow' r nd prohn l r nto' sto aJP r i hts unc cr tJ e r onn Conventions are li l'li ted reor ip hi C- Uy t o thP territory ocr upie l hy American t -oops so occ11pi P l - J Ji 1 i n i l t ' ps wi11 have to 1-e t i en unless alr ' ady covered EYP n with r ur h ar rr r momt i t iis doul -tful that the Fromch ancl thi i English would r r nt n i rm ll1 r i ivanG J ri -h t s t o thP United St i tes t o use itomic wn 1 ponr from t h ir 1 on in W t nrn r eron ny w-i t hout cal li nn for ' rir ht of prior c-onsul1 al i on 11ch - d sts in t m case of th' United K 1 nr dorn 1nd FrP nc-h has' S i n F nc-lanrl Hctropolit an Pr11ncc in l Ncr1 h Afrir a TOP S CREl This document is from the holdings of The National Security Archive Suite 701 Gelman Library The George Washington University 2130 H Street NW Washington D C 20037 Phone 202 994-7000 Fax 202 994-7005 nsarchiv@gwu edu