862.6362/4–2247
The French Foreign Minister ( Bidault ) to the Secretary of State 58
Mr. Secretary: I have the honor to acknowledge your letter of April 19, 194759 concerning the export of coal from the three Western Zones of Germany. I am happy to state that you have, to a large extent, satisfied the requests which the French Government have been putting forward for a considerable time, by fixing the volume of coal exports, according to a formula of general application, as a proportion of German production. Although still far from what we had hoped for, the figures which you give in your letter show a desire to meet us on your part and that of the United Kingdom which we appreciate, knowing the responsibilities which you have mentioned. I thank you for this communication, and take note of it.
However, in view of the difference which still exists between what we can hope for from your proposals, and the minimum vital needs of France, which I have set forth in the name of the French Government, I ask you in addition to be prepared to give us your help over the question of the Saar and its effect on our coal situation. I would ask you to be good enough, when the economic incorporation of the Saar with France has been decided upon, to agree to make a joint notification to the European Coal Organization of that decision. In making this notification, I would ask you to make clear that France will hereafter present to the European Coal Organization both the resources and the needs of France and the Saar as a whole, and invite the European Coal Organization to take account of this new situation.
I woud greatly appreciate your agreement to the arrangements contained in the letters which have passed between us and which I accept.60
Please accept [etc.]
- The source text was transmitted to the Department as enclosure 2b to despatch 110, April 22, 1947, from Moscow, not printed. The French text of this letter was sent as enclosure 4 to the same despatch. Foreign Minister Bidault addressed a similar letter to Foreign Secretary Bevin.↩
- Supra.↩
-
In a letter to Foreign Minister Bidault, dated April 19, 1947, the text of which was transmitted to the Department as enclosure 2c to despatch 110, April 22, 1947, from Moscow, Secretary Marshall stated the following:
↩“In answer to your letter of April 19th in reply to my letter of the same date, about the export of coal from the three Western Zones of Germany, I am happy to state that the arrangements contained in these letters have my approval.”