Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Western European Security, Volume V, Part 1

740.5/3–2852: Telegram

The Ambassador in France (Dunn) to the Department of State ¹

top secret

Paris, March 28, 1952—7 p.m.

5962. From MacArthur. Following is US eyes only and FYI only. Re Deptel 5503 to Paris March 18.²

Nutting (Parliamentary Under Secretary UK FonOff) called on General Eisenhower today. In course of conversation General Eisenhower emphasized vital importance of moving ahead rapidly toward signing EDC treaty. He said while there were number of issues on which agreement still must be reached, there was one where early and constructive action by UK might represent major contribution to hastening signature of treaty. This was question of some form of Brussels Pact–EDC security guarantee formula which wld provide solution to impasse between Dutch and Germans re automatic internal defense commitments in EDC. (Re Paris Embtel 5526, March 12.³) Anything constructive UK cld do now to make such commitment wld be of tremendous importance. General Eisenhower asked Nutting to convey his views to Eden as soon as possible.

Nutting replied he was returning London by air tonight and wld see Eden and report fully on General’s views and sense of urgency. He said UK Govt was fully aware of importance of early constructive action and that Eden had developed a formula which he thought wld meet Dutch position and be helpful with French, Germans, and others. Originally it had been hoped to submit this formula to Cabinet today but legal experts in FonOff were giving it a last going-over. According to present plans, Eden formula wld be presented to Cabinet on Monday or Tuesday of next week, and if approved, UK wld in first instance convey formula to French late in week. Nutting expressed opinion substance of Eden proposal wld be satisfactory to EDC members with possible exception of one point. Namely, length of duration of such British guarantee. He indicated that strong UK position was it shld be limited to duration of NATO and not to duration of EDC or Brussels Pact.

General Eisenhower replied that if UK proposal was satisfactory except for length of duration, he wld press strongly French and Benelux to accept it particularly since Nutting had stated that British were going just as far as they possibly cld to be helpful and constructive.

Dunn

1. Repeated to London for Gifford and Spofford, The Hague, Brussels, Bonn, Rome, and Luxembourg.
2. Same as telegram 4578 to London, Mar. 19, summarized in footnote 3, supra.
3. Not printed; it informed the Department that the German-Dutch deadlock in the Juridical Committee of the EDC Conference over internal mutual defense guarantees among EDC members to be included in the EDC Treaty continued, the Germans asking for an “automatic” defense commitment among EDC members, the Dutch demanding that internal mutual guarantees among EDC members should read precisely as the reciprocal guarantee between EDC and NATO members as framed in the language of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty (740.5/3–1352).