840.6362/4–2445: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom ( Winant )
3219. 1. Department agrees with your views regarding EEC and ECO as set out in your 3903, April 12 [17]; 4044, April 20 and 4119, April 21.83
2. More specifically with regard to EEC, if informal talks with Dutch, Belgians and Norwegians indicate that they will go ahead, we agree that meeting for establishing the Committee should be called. In view of urgency of economic problems, we would favor a date prior to May 25. We are anxious to maintain full French participation at all stages and therefore would prefer having any invitations made jointly by U.S., U.K. and France. In discussion here Alphand said France would join in invitation. We agree that invitation should go to all European Allies except Poland at the present time and including the Soviets. Invitations might include suggestion of sending observer if full participation not acceptable.
3. Alphand indicated in conversation with Clayton here84 that France might propose at San Francisco that Social and Economic Council would be authorized to sponsor regional economic organizations and that EEC might develop into such an organization. We stressed to Alphand our conception of EEC as an emergency body. It would be desirable to stress this point in any conversations which you have. Even if Social and Economic Council were to play such a role there is doubt as to the place of the U.S. in a European regional economic group except during emergency period.
[Page 1445]4. With regard to ECO, we agree that circulation of proposed Soviet amendments would be unfortunate and hope that French will not press this point.85 In view of the extreme seriousness of coal problem throughout the world, we would favor proceeding at earliest possible time with ECO even if EEC is delayed. As you know, Dr. Potter, Deputy Solid Fuels Administrator, is proceeding to London and presumably Paris shortly. He is fully familiar with U.S. and world coal situation and his presence at time of discussing ECO formally might be helpful.
5. Substance of above message has been discussed with Hawkins.
6. Sent to London, repeated to Paris as No. 1658 and to Moscow as No. 943.
- No. 4119 not printed.↩
- Mr. Alphand had stopped over in Washington en route to the San Francisco Conference. His conversation of April 20 with Mr. Clayton is recorded in a memorandum of April 20, not printed (840.50/4–2445).↩
- The full text of the document for the establishment of ECO with proposed Soviet amendments was transmitted to the Department by telegram 3708, April 11, 1945, 9 p.m., from London (not printed). The major point in the Soviet amendments was the specific allocation of first priority to reparation coal over other coal demands. Telegram 4119, April 21, 1945, 9 p.m., from London reported that the French Government wished to have the Soviet amendments circulated to the other Allied Governments in advance of the ECO meeting; the London Embassy feeling this move would be a serious error because it would be equivalent to placing the amendments on the agenda and possibly deadlock the talks (840.50/4–2145).↩