Statement About United States Military Forces in Europe

Note: The statement was released at Key Biscayne, Fla., following Senate debate on an amendment to the Military Selective Service Act of 1967. Introduced on May 11, 1971, by Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield, the amendment required the reduction of U.S. forces stationed in Europe by December 31, 1971.

On May 13, the President met with a group of military and diplomatic officials from present and previous administrations to discuss the proposed amendment to reduce U.S. forces in Europe. On the same day, the White House released the transcript of a news briefing on the meeting by former Secretary of State Dean Acheson and former Under Secretary of State George W. Ball.

A list of former U.S. Government officials who supported the President's statement was released by the White House on May 15 and is printed in the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents (vol. 7, P- 772).

On May 15, the White House also made available to the press a statement in support of the President by former President Lyndon B. Johnson. It read as follows:

I have seen the President's statement opposing at this time a unilateral reduction of military forces maintained in Europe for the common defense. I am totally in accord with that statement.

American steadiness in support of NATO for more than 20 years has not only helped to bring security and progress to the North Atlantic community, it has also encouraged movement toward reconciliation with those toward the East. Unilateral reduction of our military forces in Europe would endanger what we have achieved in the past and shatter our hopes for the future.

On May 16, the White House made available a message from former President Harry S. Truman, which was conveyed to the White House by Mr. Acheson and read as follows:

Former President Harry S. Truman agrees entirely with the statement made by President Nixon and released Saturday morning. He also agrees with the statement issued by former President Lyndon Baines Johnson.

On May 17, the White House released the following letter from the Secretary General of NATO:
Dear Mr. President:

I have seen reports of Senator Mansfield's proposal to reduce U.S. forces in Europe from about 300,000 men to about 150,000. Everyone is, of course, entitled to his own opinion, and I do not doubt, or contest the good faith and intentions of Senator Mansfield or of anyone who may share his view. Nevertheless, I feel bound to say that to me, the ideas underlying this proposal appear to be untenable, and to run counter to the conclusions of the extensive study which has recently been completed on alliance defense problems in the 1970's.

The assumption that unilateral reduction of U.S. forces in Europe would not undermine the Atlantic Alliance and NATO's solidarity is deeply and dangerously mistaken. Such a step would withdraw all credibility from NATO's ability to keep its commitments and to maintain a solid deterrent in the face of Warsaw Pact strength. It would compromise efforts toward detente and deprive the Alliance of any serious basis for East-West negotiations on political problems and on armaments control. Finally, and most importantly, the proposed reduction would mean a return to a trip-wire strategy, in contradiction to the basis of the Alliance's present strategy of flexibility in response, for it is NATO's overall strength in Europe which provides the Alliance with an alternative to an immediate nuclear retaliation if attacked.

Furthermore, the mere fact that Senator Mansfield has suggested a major unilateral reduction could deeply affect the political and moral strength of NATO. It runs counter to repeated solemn U.S. commitments, like those of all the other allies, to maintain NATO's overall military capability and not to reduce their forces without previous full consultation in the Alliance, and except as agreed with the East on the basis of mutual and balanced force reductions.
Sincerely,

MANLIO BROSIO
Secretary General of NATO