N.A.T.O.; reorganization; relationship to Germany

30. The Secretary of State for External Affairs, referring to discussion at the meeting of December 4th, 1951, said certain proposals for changes in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization would be placed before the N.A.T.O. Council at its forthcoming meeting in Lisbon. The main changes contemplated were abolition of the Council Deputies and creation of a Council in continuous session, with Ministers attending only when required; appointment of a Director-General or Secretary-General who would also be vice-chairman of the permanent Council and might be of ministerial experience; and selection of London or Paris as the permanent headquarters for most N.A.T.O. organs.

Creation of a permanent Council would necessitate appointment of a fulltime Canadian representative and delegation.⁹ The U.S. Government considered the Secretary-General should not be an American. The preliminary Canadian position taken on the question of concentrating N.A.T.O. agencies in one capital was that, on balance, Paris would be the best site.

31. The Minister of National Defence felt the change in the organization of the Council should be duplicated on the military side, with the Military Committee in permanent session but normally attended by representatives of its members.

32. Mr. Pearson thought it difficult to foresee what would happen if there were a failure to agree on the future position of Western Germany. The United States would like it to become a member of N.A.T.O. and, while French opinion in the matter had evolved considerably during the past year, the French government was opposed to such a step being taken until the problem of Germany's boundaries was settled and the French public was further prepared. If Germany was to collaborate in Western defence, it would probably want to participate in policy forming and might want an undertaking that its eastern boundaries, even those of the pre- 1945 period, would be defended.

33. The Prime Minister said that, although it would not be possible to agree to defend the old German borders, the remainder of the price Germany was now setting for its collaboration in defence was no higher than that anticipated for some time and no more than would have to be paid.

34. The Cabinet, after further discussion:

(a) noted with approval the report of the Secretary of State for External Affairs regarding proposals for changes in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization that would be placed before the N.A.T.O. Council at its forthcoming meetings in Lisbon; and,

(b) noted the Minister's report as to problems being encountered in negotiations regarding the relationship of Germany to Western defence arrangements.

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