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C P . (48) 6
4:tk January,
1948
CABINET
THE FIRST AIM OF BRITISH FOREIGN
MEMORANDUM
POLICY
BY T H E S E C R E T A R Y OF S T A T E F O R F O R E I G N
AFFAIRS
I T m u s t be recognised t h a t t h e Soviet G o v e r n m e n t h a s f o r m e d a solid political
a n d economic block b e h i n d a line r u n n i n g from t h e B a l t i c a l o n g t h e Oder, t h r o u g h
T r i e s t e t o t h e B l a c k Sea. T h e r e is n o prospect i n t h e i m m e d i a t e f u t u r e t h a t
w e shall be able to re-establish a n d m a i n t a i n n o r m a l r e l a t i o n s w i t h E u r o p e a n
c o u n t r i e s b e h i n d t h a t line. A s I h a v e e x p l a i n e d i n a s e p a r a t e p a p e r these
c o u n t r i e s a r e d o m i n a t e d by t h e C o m m u n i s t s , a l t h o u g h they a r e only a m i n o r i t y
i n each c o u n t r y . I n d e e d we shall be h a r d p u t to i t t o s t e m t h e f u r t h e r encroachment
of t h e Soviet t i d e . I t is n o t e n o u g h to reinforce t h e p h y s i c a l b a r r i e r s w h i c h still
g u a r d o u r W e s t e r n civilisation. W e m u s t also o r g a n i s e a n d consolidate t h e
ethical a n d s p i r i t u a l forces i n h e r e n t i n t h i s W e s t e r n civilisation of w h i c h we
a r e t h e chief p r o t a g o n i s t s . T h i s i n m y view c a n only be done by c r e a t i n g some
f o r m of u n i o n i n W e s t e r n E u r o p e , w h e t h e r of a f o r m a l o r i n f o r m a l c h a r a c t e r ,
backed by t h e A m e r i c a s a n d t h e D o m i n i o n s .
The
Situation.
I n a n o t h e r p a p e r I h a v e a t t e m p t e d to give my colleagues a sober a n d f a c t u a l
account of R u s s i a n policy. I t i s clear t h a t from secure e n t r e n c h m e n t s behind
t h e i r line t h e R u s s i a n s a r e e x e r t i n g a c o n s t a n t l y i n c r e a s i n g p r e s s u r e w h i c h
t h r e a t e n s t h e whole f a b r i c of t h e W e s t . I n some W e s t e r n countries t h e d a n g e r
i s still l a t e n t b u t i n G e r m a n y , F r a n c e , T r i e s t e , I t a l y a n d Greece the conflicting
forces a r e a l r e a d y a t g r i p s w i t h one a n o t h e r . I n each c o u n t r y t h e issue is still
i n doubt a n d w e m u s t a c t resolutely if w e a r e t o p r e v a i l . T h e Soviet G o v e r n m e n t
h a s based i t s policy on t h e e x p e c t a t i o n t h a t W e s t e r n E u r o p e will s i n k i n t o economic
chaos a n d they m a y be relied u p o n t o place every possible obstacle in t h e p a t h
of A m e r i c a n a i d a n d of W e s t e r n E u r o p e a n recovery. O u r course is equally clear.
I have done a n d w i l l continue t o do all I c a n to b r i n g t h e M a r s h a l l P l a n to
f r u i t i o n . B u t essential t h o u g h i t i s , p r o g r e s s i n t h e economic field will n o t
i n itself suffice to call a h a l t to t h e R u s s i a n t h r e a t . P o l i t i c a l a n d , indeed, s p i r i t u a l
forces m u s t be mobilised i n o u r defence.
The
Western,Union
I believe therefore t h a t w e should seek to f o r m w i t h t h e b a c k i n g of t h e
A m e r i c a s a n d t h e D o m i n i o n s a W e s t e r n d e m o c r a t i c system c o m p r i s i n g , if possible,
S c a n d i n a v i a , t h e L o w C o u n t r i e s , F r a n c e , P o r t u g a l , I t a l y a n d Greece. A s soon
a s c i r c u m s t a n c e s p e r m i t w e should of course w i s h also to include S p a i n a n d
G e r m a n y , w i t h o u t w h o m n o W e s t e r n system c a n be complete. T h i s m a y seem
a somewhat f a n c i f u l conception, b u t events a r e m o v i n g f a s t a n d t h e sense of
a common d a n g e r d r i v e s c o u n t r i e s to welcome to-morrow solutions w h i c h apDear
u n p r a c t i c a l a n d u n a c c e p t a b l e to-day. A l m o s t all t h e c o u n t r i e s I have listed have
been n u r t u r e d on civil liberties a n d on t h e f u n d a m e n t a l h u m a n r i g h t s . T h e recent
p r o c e e d i n g s of the H u m a n R i g h t s Commission a t G e n e v a have shown t h a t of
t h e e i g h t e e n S t a t e s r e p r e s e n t e d , all except R u s s i a a n d t h r e e satellites were i n
34751
s u b s t a n t i a l a g r e e m e n t w i t h t h e B r i t i s h d r a f t of a n I n t e r n a t i o n a l Convention for
t h e protection of these civil liberties a n d h u m a n r i g h t s . Moreover, most W e s t e r n
E u r o p e a n countries have such recent experience of N a z i r u l e t h a t t h e y c a n
a p p r e h e n d directly w h a t is involved i n t h e i r loss. A l l i n a g r e a t e r o r lesser
degree sense the imminence of the C o m m u n i s t p e r i l a n d a r e seeking some a s s u r a n c e
of salvation. I believe therefore t h a t t h e moment is r i p e for a consolidation
of W e s t e r n E u r o p e . T h i s need not t a k e t h e s h a p e of a f o r m a l alliance, t h o u g h
we have a n alliance w i t h F r a n c e a n d m a y conclude one w i t h o t h e r countries.
I t does, however, m e a n close consultation w i t h each of t h e W e s t e r n E u r o p e a n
countries, b e g i n n i n g w i t h economic questions. W e i n B r i t a i n c a n no longer s t a n d
outside E u r o p e a n d insist t h a t our problems a n d position a r e q u i t e s e p a r a t e from
those of our E u r o p e a n neighbours. O u r t r e a t y r e l a t i o n s w i t h t h e various c o u n t r i e s
m i g h t differ, but between all there would be a n u n d e r s t a n d i n g backed by power,
money a n d resolution a n d bound t o g e t h e r by t h e common ideals for w h i c h the
W e s t e r n P o w e r s have twice i n one g e n e r a t i o n shed t h e i r blood.
I a m a w a r e t h a t the Soviet G o v e r n m e n t would r e a c t a g a i n s t t h i s policy as
savagely as they have done a g a i n s t the M a r s h a l l P l a n . I t would be described as
a n offensive alliance directed a g a i n s t t h e Soviet U n i o n . On t h i s p o i n t I can
only say t h a t in the s i t u a t i o n in w h i c h w e have been placed by R u s s i a n policy
half measures a r e useless. I f we a r e to preserve peace a n d o u r own safety a t
t h e same time, we can only do so by t h e mobilisation of such a moral a n d m a t e r i a l
force a s will create confidence a n d energy on the one side a n d i n s p i r e respect
a n d c a u t i o n on t h e other. T h e a l t e r n a t i v e is to acquiesce i n continued R u s s i a n
infiltration a n d helplessly to witness the piecemeal collapse of one W e s t e r n bastion
after another.
T h e policy I have outlined will r e q u i r e s t r o n g B r i t i s h l e a d e r s h i p i n o r d e r
to secure i t s acceptance i n E u r o p e on one h a n d a n d i n t h e D o m i n i o n s a n d the
A m e r i c a s on the other. M a t e r i a l a i d will have to come p r i n c i p a l l y from the
U n i t e d S t a t e s , b u t the countries of W e s t e r n E u r o p e w h i c h despise the s p i r i t u a l
values of A m e r i c a will look to us for political a n d m o r a l g u i d a n c e a n d for
assistance i n b u i l d i n g u p a counter a t t r a c t i o n to the baleful tenets of communism
w i t h i n t h e i r borders a n d i n r e c r e a t i n g a h e a l t h y society wherever i t h a s been
shaken or s h a t t e r e d by the w a r . I believe t h a t we have the resources w i t h w h i c h
to p e r f o r m t h i s task.
P r o v i d e d we can o r g a n i s e a W e s t e r n E u r o p e a n system such as I have
outlined above, backed by the power a n d resources of t h e C o m m o n w e a l t h a n d of
the A m e r i c a s , i t should be possible to develop o u r o w n p o w e r a n d influence to
equal t h a t of the U n i t e d S t a t e s of A m e r i c a a n d t h e U . S . S . R . W e have t h e m a t e r i a l
resources i n the Colonial E m p i r e , if we develop them, a n d by g i v i n g a s p i r i t u a l
lead now we should be able to c a r r y o u t o u r t a s k i n a w a y w h i c h will show
clearly t h a t we a r e n o t subservient to t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s of A m e r i c a or t o t h e
Soviet U n i o n .
I have a l r e a d y broached the conception of w h a t I called a s p i r i t u a l u n i o n
of the W e s t t e n t a t i v e l y t o M r . M a r s h a l l a n d M . B i d a u l t , b o t h of w h o m seemed
to react favourably w i t h o u t of course c o m m i t t i n g themselves. I n o w propose,
if my colleagues agree, to v e n t i l a t e t h e i d e a i n p u b l i c i n m y speech i n t h e f o r t h ­
coming F o r e i g n Affairs Debate a n d t h e r e a f t e r to p u r s u e it, as occasion d e m a n d s ,
w i t h t h e Governments concerned.
E. B.
Foreign Office, S. W. 1,
4th January, 1948.
N O T E
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