149 



was also evident in Senate Resolution 239, sponsored by Senator Van- 

 denberg, adopted by a vote of 64 to 4 on June 11, 1948. The resolution 

 urged t be President to pursue ". . . progressive development of regional 

 and other collective arrangements for individual and collective self 

 defense." It called for "association of the United States, by constitu- 

 tional process, with such regional and other collective arrangements 

 as are based on continuous and effective self-help and mutual aid, and 

 as affects its national security." 28 



The Congress further endorsed unification and integration in Europe 

 through the Mutual Security Acts of 1951 and 1952. In the former, 

 Congress specified as an objective of U.S. foreign policy the economic 

 unification and political integration of Europe. 29 During 1951, the 

 Department of State apparently decided that the political unification 

 should be more actively encouraged, and at a meeting between Mem- 

 bers of Congress and the Council of Europe the U.S. representatives 

 pressed hard in that direction. The Mutual Security Act of 1952 

 included a forthright statement of support for European unity : 30 



The Congress welcomes the recent progress in political federation, military 

 integration and economic unification in Europe and reaffirms its belief in the 

 necessity of further vigorous efforts towards these ends as a means of building 

 strength, establishing security, and preserving peace in the North Atlantic area. 

 In order to provide further encouragement to such efforts, the Congress believes 

 it essential that this act should be so administered as to support concrete meas- 

 ures for political federation, military integration and economic unification in 

 Europe. 



Through the late 1940's and into the early 1950's the principal 

 impact of nuclear science and technology upon American diplomacy 

 was the temporary military advantage it gave to the United States in 

 relation to the European Community. Although the United Kingdom 

 and France had some knowledge of nuclear weapons they lacked the 

 industrial base to make them. Possession of nuclear weapons initially 

 enabled American diplomats to extend to allies of the United States 

 an umbrella of protection against attack. 



But the exclusive military advantage was short-lived as scientists 

 and engineers of the Soviet Union developed their own nuclear 

 weapons. By the mid-1950's the realization that the Soviet Union 

 would acquire large nuclear weapons plus the optimism of U.S. 

 scientists and engineers as they surveyed the initial results of the first 

 few years of work to produce commercially useful nuclear power, 

 had set the scene for a major new diplomatic initiative: President 

 Eisenhower's Atoms for Peace plan of 1953. 



A new scientific and technological achievement was soon to divert 

 interest from nuclear energy. With the Soviet Union's successful 

 launching of Sputnik on October 4, 1957, the attention of the world 

 became directed toward outer space. Facing technological rivalry with 

 the Soviet Union, the United States, while still giving some attention 

 to nuclear power, began its efforts (which are still continuing) to get 

 Europe to cooperate in space programs. 



28 Congressional Record, vol. 04. June 11, 194S p. 7791 



29 The Mutual Security Act of 1951, P.I,. 82-165. 65 Stat. 373. 



30 The Mutual Security Act of 1952, P.L. 82-400, 66 Stat 141. 



