British Pathe

Unused / unissued material - dates and locations unclear or unknown.

Official opening of NATO. Palais de Chaillot, Paris, France.

LS Robert Schuman making speech of welcome. (in French). MS Lord Is-may seated replying to M. Schuman. GV Crowds outside the Palais de Chaillot as cars...

Unused / unissued material - dates and locations unclear or unknown.

Official opening of NATO. Palais de Chaillot, Paris, France.

LS Robert Schuman making speech of welcome. (in French). MS Lord Is-may seated replying to M. Schuman. GV Crowds outside the Palais de Chaillot as cars arrive. LS People going into the building. MS and LS Various shots of personalities being introduced to each other, etc. (Lord Ismay speaking..) "M'seur Le President, your excellencies and gentlemen. You have done us a signal honour, M'seur Le President, in coming here today and your inspiring speech will be an encouragement to all of us, as we set out on this next stage of our common effort. M'seur le President, for my part I'm very grateful for the kind things you've said about me. I can only promise you that I will do my utmost to be worthy of your confidence. And I would like, at the same time, to thank on behalf of my colleague, Mr. Van Vredenburg, for your kindly welcome to him. I think that I'm sure that N.A.T.O. and particularly that the new secretary-general are extremely fortunate in having secured his services. M'seur le President, we have to thank you, our kind host the French Government for having lent us this building, so beautifully situated, I deliberately used the word 'lent', because it is my hope that within, say the next twelve months at the most, we will not trespass on your hospitality any longer. Now twelve months passes very quickly, so there's a great deal to be done, and one of our first tasks, will be to find alternative accommodation in or near Paris. But our immediate task this morning, is to consider the question of a successor to that great soldier and statesman General Eisenhower. In a way therefore, it's a sad occasion but I feel that our hearts must be filled with gratitude and pride, for all that he has done for us since he was appointed Supreme Commander to the Allied Forces in Europe. It may well be that when history comes to be written a hundred years hence, say, the contribution that he has made to saving the peace, will be acclaimed as just as worthy of renown as the contribution that he made towards winning the second world war. Gentlemen, our predecessors, the council of deputies, under the able chairmanship of Ambassador Spofford, the central secretariat, the Finance and Economic Board, the Defence Production board, have all earned the gratitude of the free world, for the notable work that they have done in laying the foundation of this organisation. We are privileged to carry the building a stage further. This is the first time that the whole of the civil organisations have been brought under one roof. It gives us an opportunity to become a team in the real sense of the word, also, and I'm sure that I speak for everyone of us when I say that we are determined to seize that opportunity. That we shall have our difficulties, is certain. That we shall have our misunderstandings and our quarrels, little quarrels I hope, is very very probable. But let no man doubt, that we are resolved to go forward together."