https://declassified.library.utoronto.ca/files/original/b71e74e4b9938f69ad851a6230a8b704.pdf e1f0e4a723cf995a8ea8945486a81be9 PDF Text Text .· FM BdNN AUG23/63 CONFD CDN EYES ONLY TO EXERNAL 585 INFO WASHDC LIN EMBPA·RIS NATOPARIS HAGUE BRU ROME BAG COPEN OSLO LISBON ANKARA FM LON BAG ATHENS FM PARIS cOof1 - -cc.os MLF IN THE COURSE OF AFTER DINNER CONVERSATION LAST THUR AMBASSADOR ROBERTS AND ITALIAN AMBASSADOR GUIDOTTI SEVERAL . POINTS OF INTEREST EMERGED CONCERNING UK AND ITALIAN ATTITUDES . . TOWARDS MLF AS WELL AS ON VIEWS AND POSITION OF GEJtJAN MIN ISTER SCHROEDER. 2eGUIDOTTI WAS TRYING TO PERSUADE ROBERTS OF THE NEED FOR UK TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FORCE FROM THE OUTSET, EVEN ON A MODEST SCALE. ROBERTS EXPLAINED THAT BRIT AUTHORITIES REMAINED CONVINCED THAT THE MLF MADE LITTLE SENSE FROM A PURELY MILITARY POINT OF VIEW. THEY DID NOT RPT NOT DISPUTE THE JUDGMENT THAT THE IU.f WAS TECHNICALLY FEASIBLE NOR THAT. IT COULD BE M_ILITARILY EFFECTIVE. HOWEVER, THEY DID NOT RPT NOT BELIEVE THAT THE CREATION or- THIS FORCE ANSWERED ANY MILITARY NEED. IN ADDITION, THEY HAD SERIOUS RESERV AllONS ABOUT 1 TS FINANCIAL COST WHICH THEY WERE CONVINCED WOULD IN PRACTICE SUBSTANTIALLY EXCEED PRESENT USA ESTIMATES• ROBERTS SUGGESTED IN THIS CONTEXT THAT IMPORTANT ANCILLARY EXPENDITURES WOULD BE NECESSARY TO PROVIDE ESCORT VESSELS, SUBMARINES,ETC FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE Ml.F FLEET<THIS OPINION APPEARS TO CONFUCT WITH THE GEIItAN VIEW REPORTED IN MYLET 578 JUL23 THAT MLF SHIPS COULD BE EFFECTIVELY CONCEALED AMIDST tHE LARGE FLEET OR REGULAR MERCHANT SHIPS>. ROBERTS WENT ON TO SAY THAT,NOT RPT NOTWITH.STANDING THESE ADVERSE OPINIONS ON THE lttiLITARY VALUE AND COST OF THE MLF,BRIT FO BELiEVED THAT CREATION MI.F WOULD BE JUSTIFIED ON PURELY POLITICAL GROUNDS IE AS A'MEANS PRESERVING AND STRENGTHENING THE. UNITY AND COHESION OF THE 000322 �PAt two 585 ATLANTIC ALLIANCE IN THESE DIFFICULT TIMES .• ROBERTS DOUBTED,HOWEVER, THAT THE BRIT GOVT COULD PERSUADE A DQUBTING BRIT PUBLIC AND PARLIAMENT OF THE NEED FOR BRIT PARTICIPATION IN THE MLF IN THE f NEAR FUTURE AND, IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, HE THOUGHT THAT THE BRIT (. GOVT WOULD .NOT RPT NOT PRESS THIS ISSUE. GUIDOTTI SEEMED INCLINED TO ACCEPT THE BRIT ASSESSMENT OF THE MILITARY VALUE. OF THE MlF BUT HE ARGUED STRONGLY THAT THE FORCE SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED PRCflPTLY ON POLITICAL GROUNDS.HE EMPHASIZED,MOREOVER, THAT IF THE ONLY MAJOR COUNTRIES PARTICIPATING INITIALLY WERE USA,GEJIIANY AND ITALY,TH£ FORCE WOULD INEVITABLY HAVE A PREDOMINANTLY USAIGEIIIAN . CHARACTER. ITALY WOULD PROBABLY NOT RPT NOT WISH TO PARTICIPATE UNLESS UK ALSO WAS A MEMBER FROM THE OUTSET. 3. A FURTHER POIN.T OF CONSIDERABLE INTEREST EMERGED G TO SCHROEDERS VIEWS ON THE MLF.ROBERTS SAID THAT DURING HIS RECENT LDN VISIT .SCHROEDER HAD ALSO PRESSED STRONGLY FOR BRIT PARTICIPATION . . IN THE MLF AND HAD EXPRESSED THE VIEW THAT THE MLF WAS NECESSARY AMONG OTHER THINGS TO ·DETER TO THOSE IN GERMANY WHO WERE ATTRACHID TO THE CONCEPTIONS or .GEN DE GAULL£.UNFORTUNATELY SCHROEDER HAD. NOT RPT, NOT ELABORATED ON THE PRECISE_ or HIS INTRIGUING REMARK, WHICH COULD BE VARIOUSLY INTERPRETED. WHATEVER ITS CORRECT INTERPREATION MAY BE 11 HOWEVER, ABOVE REMARK AND OTHER VIEWS EXPRESSED BY SCHROEDER IN LDN<LOO TEL 2368 AUG16> SEEM TO PROVIDE FURTHER EVIDENCE OF HIS APPARENTLY STRONG ATLANTIC . - ·ORIENTATION. THEY ALSO INDICATE THAT GERMAN GOVT IS NOT RPT NOT PLAYING AS PASSIVE A ROLE IN DISCUSSIONS OF MLF AS HAD SEEMED FORESHADOWED BY DEFENCE STATE SECRETARY HOPFS REMARKS TO ME RECENTLY.<OURTEL 496 JUL22>.•••••••• 000323 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CDNW03858 Title A name given to the resource Bonn to External 585 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 23-Aug-63 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived "NATO - Nuclear weapons - Policy - NATO long term planning," RG25-A-3-b, vol. 5960, 50219-AL-2-40, part 10, Library and Archives Canada (LAC). Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Department of External Affairs Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Canadian Crown Subject The topic of the resource NATO, nuclear weapons Description An account of the resource MLF Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Canada Declassified Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource en