REPR OOUCE 0 AT THE t ATIOflAl AAOCIVE I •• I ' - · ·-1 This locurn nt con5is JI - pages N ·--o I o I Copies' Sc ies ' ✓• v ' _____7 9 O48 ·· ur _ TO THROUGH FROM SUBJECTt M - Mr Merchant ' s s ' ilUl 28 60 n ' o I p• -r · rt y - ✓ 1_1 EUR - Ivan B White » ✓ ✓ ' vi j I t1 9t Jolm Hillar 1s Tr ip to Visit NA'IO Atomic Stockpile Sites •i i You will recall that after General Norstad expressed objectiong to '·1 John Hillar•s pr oposed visit to NATO atolllic stockpile sites we told HilJ ar ori July 6 that we would accede to Gener al Norstad 1 s wishes in the ci r cumstances · You subsequently sent Ray Thurston a letter Tab B ' givrt ing b 1Jll our reaction to the cancellation of ·toe trip and ·stating our views I r I on the Department ' s role in regard to arrangements for the custody and I• contr ol of US atomic weapons stockpiled abroad for NATO forces T'ourston i----C has j us t replied to your letter Tab A ' J I II '4 I y n tl 'i i• • Some of the points made in Thurstqn' s letter are not entirely ac11 cu rate as to fact The trip was not hastily arrm ged or without proper coordination with Defense It was discussed carefully both in the Departi l ment and with Defense You will recall that on June 20 you wrote to ' Jack Irw l n to inform him about the trip and to request Defense to pave the way Tab C As a r esult of your letter Defense sent a telegram to I t' ' CINCEUR on June 22 Tab D raquesting appropriate assistance for Millar 1---- as the Department' s action officer on atomic stockpiles to Vi sit represen- IJ 11 tati ve stockpile sites We did not present t he trip as a policing exer -- _ cise by State or labor the Department's r esponsibilit ies for NATO custo· dial arrangP ments but it was clear to all concerned that Millar was to visit _1 1 NATO atomic stockpile sites in cowiection with his Department r esponsibili - __ I ties in this field We are somewhat· at a l oss to understand why Thurston · · I aJ d GenE ral Norstad _were coropletely unaware of_ th proposed trip mtil June 30 smce there was the June 22 Defense telgram and Hil l ar wrote to Dick F i lln i POI JID to CINCEUR on June 15 outlinillg his plans e wonder why Finn did · not raise · the· matter with Thurston at that time · afte r receiot of l-li 1J ar 1 s l etter but have not pointed t his out to Thurston in the hope of avoiding any further recrimination ' The other points in Thurston's letter seem to stem from an unfortunate misun9erstanding about what Millar 'With the authority of the Department an_ YDefense was trying t do It appears that Thurston erroneously feels bat General lforstad I s a uthority is beinir challenged and his judgment being alled into question This is of course absolutely the contrary of what was intended The trip a3 you point d out to Thurston in your let t r of v july 11 SECilET 1· ·· DECLASSIFIED f ·· Authority NNL «t §w - kf '•'- •q By I ' N RA Oat 2-·ts'·1f • J 1· REPROOUCeo AT THE NATIOt Al ARCHJVES' j - - - - -e- 'tl' 7 ' SECRET - 2- July 11 was purely and simply an effort by the Department officer with immediate responsibility for NATO stockpile arrangements to gain some first hand information about this complex subject no one conceived of it as designed to provide information on which to base Departmental policy It was hoped that a visit to NATO sites would ·increase the competen·ce and background of the officer most iJ11mediately concerned in the Department and would enabl e us to ask Defense intelligent questions about custody arrangements for US atomic weapons abroad a matter of undoubted interest to the Department It is difficult for us to understand Thurston ' s argument that our NATO allies would be puzzled or concerned j_f a State Department officer were to visit US support sites for non-US NATO forces We doubt that our NA TO allies consider arrangements for the storaae of US nuclear weapons for the support of allied forces of no legitimate interest for the State Department If the officer visiting such sites did so with discretion and good judgment ·we find it hard to believe that allied sensibilities would be irritated The fact that Tl urston and Norstad were not brought into the picture until about the time of Millar•s a -r ival in Paris doubtless conti-ibuted to their r eaction that the trip was an attempt to police General Norstad 1 s conduct of the stockpile program That this was not intended is so obvious and basic as to require no serious refutation I do not reconnnend that you reply to Thurston ' s letter but that i General Norstad should mention the trip to you during his forthcoming ·visit to Washington you might note to him sonie ·of the points made above as well · as in your letter to Thurston of July ll Attachments 1 2 3 4 Tab Tab Tab Tab ABCD- Letter to Mr Merchant from · Thurston July 20 · Hr Merchant's letter to Mr Thurston July 11 Mr Merchant• s letter to Mr Irwin · of June 20 Defense telegram to CINCEUR 979077 Clearances RA -Mr M a g - EUR RA AG s nle 7 28 60 ' SECRET REPROOUCEO AT l ttE NAn ONAL ARCHIVES n i l • 1 copic cricJ 1- Numbe11 _1 _ A _ OFFICIAL-mFOOMAL American Embllssy SB APE L Paris France J'uly 2 I 1900 • Dear Liviet I have discussed your letter o f 11 vi th General Norstad and though vbat follovs is my ovn reod 1t1on it faitbfu lly repre- sents our joint vievs on the problem raiaed by Jo ke M1 l J ar I s abortive trip to NATO atomic stockpile sites In the first place I must point out that it ws not until the day that Millar lett Washington for Europe June 30 thllt ve here received a copy ot his letter of June 24 to Dick Finn at Bu CM outlining his ideas about a tour of Allied atomic sites in this area An earlier routine- telegram to cmcEUR gave no 1okJ1ng tJf the purpose of his journey e Dd as he said in his letter to P'inn It the telegram is not quite ns forthcoming and explicit as it might have been but I hope it Yill be sutt1c1ent to do the Job Be al so ended the 64me letter vith the ' rather interesting wrn1ng tbl lt Heedless to osy much of the foregoing 111 extremely delicate particulnrly vitb Defense since in a way we arc f -'el1ng our VllY' al ons vith tbem right nw vith respect to our responaib1llties concerni Dg the legal provisions for m1nf' A1n1ng c As a matter ot fact vhen Jake and I went into this rather thoroughly du ring hiS visit here it clear emerged that no one i n Defense bad been approached in a fortb riglxt moner regarding the real purpose ot Mi Jl 11r' 'l Journey It ws for this reason that I auggeated tbst ii' he vished to - p il IJUB his venture he should tele'pbone his colleagues in the Ai- Department vi th a viev to their arranging tor the dispatch ot a cable f'rom the appropriate elemer ts 1n Defense Irvin Gates or JCS to Larry Norstad to put his journey on a truly state-Defense '- _ ba sio The Honorable Livingston T Merchant Under Secretary for Political Affairs Department of State Washington - ' - --- ··- ___ _ Authority 'l DECLASSIFIED Oy - - - J t JD 4-t §W AEPROOUCEO AT THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES l¥C NAM Oat 2-·ts · U ___ - 2 - baais Be fol lo led rq suggestion but the result we negativeJ that is it did not appear that tbe Department at this ttme visbed to push the matter vitb Defense I go into all this detail because you stress 1n your letter tbat tbe trip bad the approval ot e ense I regret tbat our impression here ws tbat the Millar journey bad been rather hastily arranged and not proper coordi nnted vith Defense At the least 1t bad not been coordillated vith the 11rinc1pal field cOtm111nder concerned to vit Geners1 Norstad Tbe so--eaJJ11d NATO atomic stockpile ws as you recall conceived by Noratad 1n ear 11 1957 as a measure wich vould vithin the tramewrk of existing United States lav and policy tncree 11e the over-all military etteativeness of the Alliance on the one band and on the other 11erve a broad political purpose 1n eDabl iDg our Allies to play a role in the 1l 0dern atomic defenses of HATO JCS t s cold to the proposal and it we not until the Sputnik pull ws out of accustomed grooves 1n October 1957 that t he United states and lo ter at the December 1957 meet1l'lg ot NATO leads ot aovermnent the AJJ1ance as a WOle sanctioned the establiabment of this special ammrn1t1on storage program Because be bad fat hered the idea both the Departments of Stat e and Defense looked to Noratad for a lead on the practical and legal procedures which should be instituted to make the NATO atomic stockpile a reality Tbe bilateral stockpile an mgements ve bave with several NATO cOUXItrieo and are 1n the process of negotiating vitb others all find their origin in SAC'EOR'a military requirements and are apecitical l 1 concluded at the request of SACBOR after be Jll1kes preJ1m1nary soundinga vith t he countries concerned In other wrds from tbe vievpoint of the AU1sncP the United states bas acted purs uant to SACEIJR'e rec0111111fJlld at1on 1n conc-l ud1n13 these bilatera1 arrsnsements On the otber han4 as CINCEIJR Borstad has the c Urect U S responsibility tor the physical arrall8ements at atockp ile sites and tbus e clear-cut accountabUity tbl'oUgh tbe U S line of ccmmand to J'CS the Department of Defense aDd the President and of' course to the appropriate committees of eoogress Gi ven SECREI' DECLASSIFIED ·· 1 Authority N Jt lft 5·w i 1 By It NARI Date 1 lr 1 f - - --- ___ - 1· · d · REPAOOUCEO AT THE tU TIONAl ARc taves SEIIBEl' - 3Given the role he has played in these mtters lJlrry is naturally sensitivfl to both the Allied and U S aspects ot tbe probl em posed by the kind or viait enviBnged for Jnke M1JJor Tbe U S su pport sites for Mn-U s fATO forces are located vithin non-11 S milito ry areas llild it is highly noJ1 kcly that vinits to the U S custodial groupo by state Department personnel vould go unnoticed b r our Europeun friends Norotnd is rightlyconcerned about Allied scnoibil1ties in thio respect Re does not teel the same w r about visits to U S ntomic storage for tho support or U S forces and it ws ausgcoted to Jake Millar that be migh vish to ·further his acquainto nceo vith the tecbnical side of tho problem by visitiDg -ouch oites I believe that hio subsequent Journey to SErAF in Italy ws lll lde rlth this end -in viev To recapitulate vbile the cw todial arrangements at these NATO storage sites definitely- rem in a U S responsibil1ty there is an over-all NATO sensitivity about the atockpile a rrangemBnts wich inq ela' us to question the desirability of state Department visits to the sites Putting it precisely -what nil our foreign friends nr1ke of such vioits and hat do we tell them 11' o eything · Turning to the purely United States side of the affair · there can be no questionina tbe need to on sure that the pey111cal and legal aspects of tbesa stockpile arrnngements be 1'ul1y in keeping vith American law and policy I should like to eay parenthetical fy' I have met fe r b1gbly-placed Americans 'Who personally believe as t'irll14' as 'fil'lllly- as doee General Horstad in tha essential wisdom of our current policy and law inaofar as they tend to inhibit tbe pace of development of independent national m Uitar y pover outside the United states IfO'W' I suppose tbat any Goveum rJt official civilisn or military bears along vith the legisle ttve and 1ud1cial branches of our Governll1ent a responsibil1ty for aithi'u l compliance vith the law of the lend and has a degree of accountability to the extent that he is 111V0lved in given off'1c1a1 actions But leaving aside this lev yer•o paradise it does seem to us from this vantage point tbat 'Vithin the Executive Branch itael r there are certain governing practical considerations As ve ullderstand your letter the Department is sN k1og 'l ll independent basis for detcrm1Mt1on as to vbetber these stockpile arrangements are in fact CQDIPatible 'Vith Uoited States policy atld Jav As Jake Millar put it in bis letter of June 24 ve the Departmeot I ri · UtGL - •···• _ l ull1ori y _ip l D nuY Jt -1 IV -fli l I n lt •···· - -- ' 1 -- - • - 4 - must osume oome responsibility for insuring that the provisions ol'tbe lav ore being met • and that ve cannot take the position that once the bilatercl agreements are negotiated their imple m entation io entirely Defell le' s re ponsibility tt Jake vent on to i my that no one in the Department knovs the arrimgemento at any given site ond you quite correctly point out that the Pentagon leaves the detailed arrangements in the hands of the field co ders Though it is not the Department's stated intention that MiJ lar ' s trip or future trips of this kind be or seem to be policing operations it certoinl y suggests interesting possibilities in thic regard Apart from the problem posed by the direct confrontations to which you bave recently been subjpcted on the Hill before the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy I note that Mill or's letter of June 24 reflects a good deal of i formal chit-chst betveen i orking-level Departmental officers and the Joint Committee staff Does the Department really vish to subject itself to detailed inquiries in this field Is there any real basis for doubt that Defense and the Commander in Chief of the United States Forces i n Europe are not mind f'ul of their respo sibilitics in this sphere Is the relationship betveen the Department and Defenze in Washington such that the detailed info11 l ltion needed for background purposes cannot be elicited there And if the Department is bent upon exercising an independent though admittedly second e ry supervision over these 113tters is it prepared to develop its own lll' ans of assuring the requisite current flow of up-to-date information about the physical arrangements which exist at the voriou NATO atomic stockpile sites I suppose that if we get into the busine s others on the civilian side might vish to follow including the staff of the Joict Committee Perhaps I oversimplify the situation but vhen on the one band I look at our bilateral agreements vhich provide for U S military custody of veapoos or in the case of the 14-4 b agreements for U S military to implement the necessary atomic training to Allied forces and on the other consider the overwhelming fact that it is only the military vho can really knov from day to day vhat is really going on in this particular endeavor I find it difficult to sec iby the Department should feel impelled to accept this inappropriate burden When the means of adequately discharging a re ponsibility do not appear to be available as in this case legalistic argumentation is pretty unconvincing Having said · -r lI - 1 • 1 _ • •• • · 01 _ · · Aulhorii' _ i Y D J t-' 9-1 JJ Cly I R PROOUCl O AT THE NAllONAL AAC•nves CCi J f _ Ni R ' Dat1 l ltif _ __ - - -•1· · -- t SEmrar i - 5 - llnving said all this Lerry rorotnd a ck cd me to naoure you that he does not 11oh to obstruct the omrard mrch of progreos Ind that be is or cour3e prcr i red to abide by clear-cut dircctivec in Wa hington by which in this c u e he me inc a fullyogreell State-Defense pooition Given the bi tory of the JATO atomic tockpile nnc1 certain prnctic ll oncl lee al considerntio 1 i he hao been proceecI-lnu on the u icumpt on thnt he n c the 111oot respon 'Jible charocte - n thio scenario am tl nt if either State or Defenoe 'Cl e unl a ppy '11th hJ zte - irdohir or wi hed fuller i lform ition for Congrcc oionol accountability purpo eo he vouJ d get the considered Or d and b e guided ther eby He io therefore obit unhappy about Gome of the impl ication of the Mill ir trip and itc bac1''61 01u1d and look l fon - ird to having an opportunity to d 1 eu - s tluo mt ter inter 3lia Yith you 1Jhen he next vicitc Washington probably in early August I om sorry to bllve lade this such a long letter Hovever it appc iro that in this particular case we ore approaching the n proble ' l or radica lly different ll lvc lC716th hence the i'uller explanation departt 1ent Sinc erely Raymond L Thurston SI X RET - _ __ - _ 1· · ' • PROCIUCt 0 AT tHE NATIONAL ARCttlV£S This lrmrnt c n ists cf _ _ pages No o 1 · pi 5 cr1 woro oarey t t 61 - enor4l J or•tltd obje4t ed t o Jake JUll11r 1 a Pl O cr od tri to JU i'O o tc do stoek -i dt«s Jut w t ou h it best 1 n tl- cil'o at #llC to doter t o ha -1 oho J e It wu oert a1llly not Olli' 1A nt10A t 4ut t t e tri be or to be a policiag C yOrat 140 Aa knov U t ti bild tho a ' roval ot J eLenH aDd n no no batdtaney Oil their po rt to a Deparuo rt d ·or 'icu 11n iliig it iuw COCIIP4niod b J a Dlt 'oru1e Ftr11resfflt at1ff - '' -L' tbSle tho lleteMO Do azuen bu 7 ruµon d l llit tor the onml tion alld 1dvn1st r1 1 1lllll of dc taillld a rrang to tor or IIU9 m WO de bo an iiiellCQ able NSQODlib1llt7 for the AS OG• the - on o IN deple 'Od amd for beillg llhl• t o saiDtain our po a1t1on vu-a-Tio otiar coaatrioe thct atoidc voa -xina u ill a o ltepf 1 r t 0U1' Oll lt we St bo able t o o ur own dec rl cn as to t bo appropne teneisa ccd l•1al1t7 of tho projeot a v1t b1D tho tn uwortc ot URited Stat a palia f and l av It ia • i iontial that rt on directi y J l vol'fed ta t M n o t ha TO au rficie t Wlderata l li la or theao 1 nanacoats -to b41 o bl u to oxerciN thia ----- _ reapoc ii bWt 7 ert ct 1- e1y Vlli l e 1raoh of t hct WoJ' llltiou ve noed 'abould bG av11Ja1 le re tl'lC l vct gOll U o rcspo iaible ailltA y M llt a Wll cr vhicb c tticus or ttie •rr1ees coooctn1ad 1'r-et 1lll ltly appear cc uwnt to lea Vo d tltilcd an-a na11 -un1 ot1tire J 111 t ile lwlds of tho f 1el 4 eon t' nt'Gr11 Gd th1 swciwa 1WCea 1t c it 1cu l t t o obt ein Cl anr pt ot ure tere IA 41Voa I - euni 1 lllll n rco t t thlsro 13 no 3Ubat 1tute -ro'I' int hand ob111 rvot 1on 1n Q field •11 co iplcx ll3 t hia cno better andoratunding b J Deput ct or tbia subj11ot t a s re cntly bvcel lo a particularly urgeat re uire i lnt 1n vlcw a tho illter 1 Jt 'r f H21 L TI Ul'Bton uirG Co- nuolor or b ll sar r 1- ori n l ar1D 1 DECLASSIFIED Authority 8 «c i'1 JD lf85W 1··· · _ - HEPAOOUCEO _T lHE NATIONAL ARC•UVi i o • n t fl -· - · • • • r • ' _ '' · f NII RAoa1 1- S·il' Y - _ _ y · ' illt«Nst ot U Joint Co ad ttoe 1n t an- cuata ae the ' apply- to DGV v -ona 07•1 «AC a uoh GI Gill'CII Dd o d id olli ha The iu1 - 0t along vitb Dcitonao baa rece 'Itl ' t eat11 1od bo oro tbe Joint Oomit tH 0 '1 ouat 11t1om At this t1m n h4n llO 1 reo Ju 'I pl los tar other Doparb ental N pre ieiit tiTeo to tu1J hr1a t hoaDGJ Ta vith oua lU'nlli Pmtis but CXll u1rftect oot'Jtinue ai ld 1r due couZ 3e vo vill bo io t ouch vi th 1ou about a po 111 blc recomuuasanco trip We vould wel aome y oa enta o r- th ot O Nl l orau d ou Hllla r'is t rip Id po ssible ruturc trlp I by D o t ct ticen ' a vould ot coarse e ort t o o nsuro tt at llllch make en17 tripo czr-ut ed co untort uns te 1mpl'0401one U tozi 't farchlmt Uudor Sco taJ'J' t or l oll Uoal J ttura Clearaocee 1 L- RA - Mr Magill s AE - Hr Fa rley I i I I ___ - ------ - - --ED DECLASSIFI Authority 1 11 1 tu 1• •wD i f rJA1 - r ·1 ' --- -- •·• By M ' Ji I- NARA Dal i-tf1f l - · -- ·· · ' r - - -- r1r • ·· · ST coi n ur •·-1 ' ·· · · I • • ·· t · iliUIDl Cr ----f-_- o _____ c _1c q_r1e c - r • • _ • -------r-- 1 c ••' '- I• 'vtt _ M· • 4 _ 11 •· - - 1 · ··-• ' r - 1 c 1•·1- - - -- · --·- · -······ -·· ··· ·· ·1· c -· c c r Li -··· · n 0r 'r· 1 je si r ---- - ---'pag e is' '· • · _ 1 o r-• t l ' ' 1 l I 1 ·t W •ei- ' ' • i • i ' •· ' De11r Jt1ck1 One of our offioora Jobn Y Mil l Br 1i1 10 is 0 rficer-1n-Chario Pol1tical 4U lit aey A faira in M is going to Europe on bu111tro se ot at tho ond of tbc montb Re vill bo in ngla od J'rance O o Italy and probably Turkey• t e 1a tbo action officer on nto lli c 1toolc1 1l ea aDd while he 111 a br- Jad o-e ould 11 o hiJD t o fa -dJ 1arize hill ool vit b re iresontstivo inst aJlationa Ho 71ll be goinG to Paris about Jul y l cod vcul d plan to sto i n at E JCC2 L'V a f Uc could r iako uronr e enta there to vioit a tnl u1w· in Ool'IIWlY ind ltaly as v ell o s 1n TUrmy In £na and be v ould be in toucll t brough the unbes y - 1th Third Air foroo and the 3eventh A 1r DiYision as a proprlate I ' you agree would yoi bo ood e riOU£b to paVl nooeauar - tt· e at or b 1r i a11 _J t LJ vtngat on ·r r ercbo nt '0 Tho Honorable John X Irwin II a ii lt ui t Secretary- o f Defen se for Int-OrMtional Security AffMirs 06-part nt or Defense D EUR1RA I JIMillar 1bpw 6 20 6o RA - Mr Fes ienden j r _--·----- --· ·- ---- ______ _____ 'l DECLASSIFIED - - 0 s Aulhority t_t JD l f t 5W By ¥ NARA Oat 1 ltif ··· ' E eo·Ar lHE NATtONAt 'AnCHJVes' DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY •· STAFF COMMUNl - ' NS F ICE __ PllCCE OCNC£ I TYPt M O C dJ - - - - - - - - -- -_ _ _ -_j _ __ _ _ _ __j TIQ UTT•IB A CTION '- -- ' JII -- OOO i f' ·I # 1£fl • TO MU LTI INF'O t • ' a L A iolFICATION PF ltCFCltCHCC OSD X FROM ORIC 0 ACC¢UNTINC GYMDOL I pcc L IN TAUCTION3 OSD WASH DC TO ' USCINCEUR PARIS FRANCE SJ CRE t J f Dist - Js·190'77From OASD ISA OSD ISA lul•U AE Joh 'l Y Millo r State Dept arrives Po riG ebout l July priro ri ' cy- connection other ntters State Will visit Franc ·- d C-cn ony Itcly ond probebly Turkey IG action officer in State on atomic stockpiles o od uesircs fCl lili ize himself 'llith eprescntative insto lle tions Request cooperation make such visit$ e s necessary above ' I purpose I • i ' ' ii - ' I i TIME DATC 22 Y AA MONTH YMDoc ' f I r -c -- - c- - --' - - ------1 R n CO N AM C AND TlTI C g ioNN II -«I • E • J ----- - -- - -- - - -- · _ _ _ __ IN · ·- 0 R PHON t 51 18'7 1- c ·-1 _ cccunr7' cuZ icATioN _ _ June •cw J TURc OSD ISA Fi l'lA J W Chapman Col USAF -1 I1 _ rNAn oc_1 ___ L • • •ce _ _-1· f ' J ' · · ' rPCD i J S E R • UI 60 c Ii N-'--'1 -' W -• • t nf A'd'J NAMC 0 'Tl £ J W CH 6 PJIJ li 1 · • y ·· · 1 J USAF co_onc Deputy Director Office of Foreign 1-lilito ry Rights P f'fo irz -··•· OR IG I N OSO 0 ISTR SOLO DEF 979077 SCO fD ll ' 0 J UU ll RCP'LAcc oc FORM 7$•3 1 AUC 51 WHICH WAY DE OS D PAGE -R iu'n 60 DTG 222010l REPRODUCTION PROHIB ITED 1vd 5 l8 ' l NATIONAL SECURITY ARCHIVE 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 Read related article The U S Nuclear Presence in Western Europe 1954-1962 Part II 2020-09-17