840.50 Recovery/8–2147
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Associate Chief of the Division of Western European Affairs (Wallner)
| Participants: | The French Ambassador, Mr. Bonnet |
| The Acting Secretary, Mr. Lovett | |
| WE—Woodruff Wallner |
The French Ambassador made a farewell call, at his request, on the eve of his return to Paris for consultation.
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Turning to the tripartite level-of-industry conversations, the French Ambassador said that he had received very bad news by telephone from Paris and he was most fearful of the failure of the talks. He asked Mr. Lovett if he had anything to tell him. The Acting Secretary said in reply that conversations were opening tomorrow and that he for one had no intention of prejudging their substance or result. He added that Messrs. Bidault and Monnet had had numerous conversations in Paris with Messrs. Clayton and Caffery, and that the Frenchmen had endeavored to obtain a commitment from the Americans for the establishment of a board to allocate the productive facilities of Germany after the period of military occupation; that is to say, a commitment on the content of a peace treaty that might not be drafted for four or five years. Mr. Lovett added that, in his opinion, such an idea would not be connected at this stage with the matter at issue, which was the German level-of-industry. Furthermore, he considered it improper for France to attempt to engage the United States in a bilateral agreement or understanding on the eve of tripartite conversations which were being held at France’s insistence. He had been obliged to request Clayton and Caffery to inform Bidault that the meeting opening tomorrow in Paris was the proper place to raise these difficult questions. He added that the idea of an allocating board for [Page 1047] German production in the future might be a good one, and probably was, but that there was a time and place for everything.
Mr. Bonnet said that he had been away and was not too certain of his facts but that he did know that his Foreign Minister was very upset. He developed the familiar French arguments for security against a resurgent Germany. Mr. Lovett replied that all these questions would be thoroughly aired at the London meeting.
The conversation now having lasted three-quarters of an hour, Mr. Bonnet rose to take his leave but said that, in parting, he must recall to the Acting Secretary the great importance which his government attached to a rapid solution of the Saar coal problem. He reiterated the familiar arguments, including the one to the effect that if Molotov had agreed to the absorption of the Saar at the Moscow Conference the whole thing would have been settled by now and that the United States was hiding behind Russian skirts. He spoke of the note4 which his Counselor had delivered to Mr. Thorp the preceding evening. The Acting Secretary replied that he had not yet seen this note but that the problem was receiving active consideration in the Department. Mr. Bonnet again insisted on the delicate political situation in which further delay on our part would place Bidault.