740.5/5–2352: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Dunn) to the Department of State 1
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149. From Achilles. After evening with Stikker Eden is optimistic that duration problem is near solution along lines indicated Contel 147.2 He also feels question largely academic but that Stikker needs help in getting PriMin and Cabinet approval.
Fr text of Schuman proposal uses merely words “se concerter”. While Eden [feels] addition of words “and agree” cuts both ways, he is seeking Schuman’s agreement to add them.
On UK view as to permanence of NAT, Eden told Stikker he had repeatedly stated publicly that HMG regarded Atlantic Association as a permanent thing in broadest sense rather than from narrow legal or military point of view. He reiterated that treaty itself makes clear intention of parties that it continue indefinitely although any state might withdraw after twenty years.
Stikker wants merely some reassurance along this line from UK and US, not necessarily public statements. Eden has asked London’s authorization to give him letter to this effect provided US will do same. He is unprepared to do so unless we will give similar reassurance because of recent domestic criticism of HMG for going beyond [Page 675] US in giving guarantee to EDC. Dixon and I are working on language which will be transmitted soonest.3
- Repeated to Paris, London, Bonn, and The Hague.↩
- Summarized in footnote 4, supra.↩
- In telegram 7286 from Paris, May 24, Dunn reported that the French Cabinet had met twice the day before “in what I gather were stormy sessions on question authorizing signature of EDC. Late last night they gave what Maurice Schumann calls ‘reluctant assent’ to signature on condition that Robert Schuman shld obtain strengthening of tripartite declaration to contain more precise US and UK guarantees against Ger secession from EDC.” Dunn added that appropriate instructions had been sent to Schuman at Bonn and that this had been fully reported to the Secretary who had also arrived at Bonn (740.5/5–2452).↩