(ives5) Dd.145178 400m 5/73 G.W.BL: Gp.063
:
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
atzr
SECRET
contributions and only these contributions is Firm.
·
Arguably the most important aspect of our decisin on
resources Action is its presentation to the
Alliance at large. I believe that it is well under-
stood in Washington that we have been doing more than
our economically fair share for NATO defence for a
number of years. Tut it will be very important thet
we avoid touching off an avalanche of reductions by
those Euro ean Allies whose contributions to 1ATO
are smaller than ours is and will rerain, and whose
expenditure unlike ours has in recent years been
declining in real terms. We shall look for US
support in this task.
other
We
we
Among the arguments which we may have to dei loy
at LATO will be that of the disarity between our
performance and those of the European Allies in berma
of defence exrenditure as a proportion of GIO.
spend some 50% more than the European average.
spend nearly double what various European countrie
with significantly higher income per head are
spending. Despite the striking difference belteen
our economic performance and that, of France and
Germany we maintain a defence programme the : dan of
Which is very similar in volume terms to their.
Since our GF is so much smaller than theirr Ve
spend on the ATO definition approximately 14 tires
as a proportion of GND:
as much as they do of course the Germans will
arque that proportions of GIF are an inadecvate
measure. But the fact is that they are the best
single indicator, since they are based on consistent
monetary measures both of the real resources
devoted to defence and of the national income. 1t
SECRET
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.