9 June 1953: Assessing US Strategy

Heeney writes to Pearson about the relationship between US global strategy and NATO. The United States is declared to be the unequivocal “leader of the free world,” with NATO as one of its tools in resisting communist expansion. Though the international nature of the United States’ interests demands a broader scope for strategy and planning, smaller European countries in NATO rely heavily on the U.S.’s commitment to Western Europe. Reduction in U.S. support and resources means that these smaller countries have to increase their own contribution to protecting Western Europe. Hence, the Canadian delegation argues that the security and stability of these smaller NATO countries will inevitably be affected by any changes to American efforts in NATO. The Canadians are particularly concerned about this because they perceive that cohesion of the NATO alliance is directly correlated to the feelings of security among the members. Heeney takes particular issue with the Americans’ lack of consultation of their European partners, though the change in US policy might not be significant yet. The Canadian delegation maintains that the key concern is to continue to emphasize the centrality of Europe in NATO strategy.