Foreign Relations of the United States, 1947, The British Commonwealth; Europe, Volume III

840.6362/5–847: Telegram

The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Douglas) to the Secretary of State

secret
us urgent

London, May 8, 1947—8 p. m.

2643. This is Salco 487. Makins¹ and Hall-Patch² of the Foreign Office called to inform me of the results of the informal conversations UK delegate to the ECO has had with ECO representatives of governments concerned, covering both the intentions of the UK to submit an application for an allocation of coal and the Polish negotiations as they affect coal. Only the Danish and Swiss representatives on ECO have not so far been acquainted with UK intentions because the former are not available in London but are being informed in Geneva and because the latter is ill and unavailable. When it was explained to the representatives of the remaining countries that the UK’s main objective in applying to ECO was to secure an allocation of US coal, general relief and satisfaction was expressed and no opposition was indicated excepting by French. The representatives of Sweden and The Netherlands hinted that they might be unable to afford, for exchange reasons, quantities of US coal in excess of those which they are already purchasing. The views thus expressed were those of the representatives of the respective countries on ECO who have reported to their governments. Further information as to the position of their respective governments may be available later but the Foreign Office believes that they will not differ substantially from the expressed attitudes of the ECO representatives themselves.

As to France, the French representative was disturbed at the proposed intentions of the UK because of its effects on coal available for France and expressed a hope that the UK request would be spread over as long a period as possible and that the UK might purchase larger quantities of US coal than it required for its own use and resell British coal to Europe. This suggestion the UK declined on grounds of exchange. As a result of the conversations with the French representative on ECO the matter has now been raised to the political level and M. Alphand³ of the Quai d’Orsay has communicated with the Foreign Office to the effect that he would like to discuss the whole question of the UK application for an allocation, probably coming to London this week-end. The Foreign Office replied that it would not be prepared to discuss the matter with him so soon. It is probable that the discussions with Alphand will take place Tuesday or Wednesday of next week, May 13 or 14. The Foreign Office expect[s] that the French in return for not opposing the UK application for an allocation of US coal will seek UK support on some other issue probably, the Foreign Office suspects, on the proposition that the Saar coal be incorporated in the amount of indigenous French coal and made available for French consumption.⁴ This would have the effect of increasing the amount of coal available for France by approximately 200,000 tons a month, with a probable reduction in the amount available for other consuming countries. It will therefore not go unchallenged in ECO.

Makins and Hall-Patch put the following question to me: What will be the attitude of your government should the French oppose the UK application for an allocation of coal?

I replied provisionally that in this case even rather than run the risk of disturbing ECO and of causing bitterness we would be disposed to suggest that the UK application for an allocation be not presented, or if presented, that it be withdrawn, but that we would seek your advice. Inasmuch as the conversations between the Foreign Office and the Quai d’Orsay will be held Tuesday or Wednesday of next week, we urgently request your advice by the tenth if possible but not later than the twelfth.

Sent to Department as 2643; repeated to Geneva for Porter, USDel, ECE, as 32; repeated to Paris as 290.

Douglas

1. Roger Makins, Assistant Under-Secretary of State, British Foreign Office.
2. Sir Edmund Hall-Patch, Deputy Under-Secretary of State, British Foreign Office
3. Hervé Alphand, Director of Economic Services, French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
4. Tripartite agreement was reached among the United States, the United Kingdom, and France at Moscow in April regarding an increase in the production of the coal mines in the Saar, with a concomitant increase in the allotment of coal for France. For documentation regarding this matter, see vol. ii, pp. 472 ff.