Office of the Historian

851.00B/8–747: Telegram

The Ambassador in France (Caffery) to the Secretary of State
top secret
Paris, August 7, 1947—5 p. m.

3155. According to a source maintaining close and friendly relations with Communists here, a highly important meeting has just taken place in Paris which was attended by Fried,1 Stalin’s special representative [Page 730] in France, a representative of the Soviet economic expert, Eugene Varga, and other high Soviet officials as well as the most important French Communist leaders. Their decisions may be summarized as follows, according to source:

1.
American assistance to Europe, under the “Marshall Plan” will be “too little and too late” to assure effective economic recovery in Europe and accordingly French and other Communist parties must be prepared for “sharpening of conflict between working classes and bourgeoisie”. Potential danger of Gaullist movement should not be underestimated and consequently “illegal apparatus” of Communist Party must be reinforced and the “trusted militants” of party should even actively prepare for period when it may become necessary again to “go underground” in the face of “legal persecution”.
2.
In view of foregoing analysis the Communist Party here must pursue “parallel” policy of building up “illegal” as well as “legal” party groups and accordingly “mass” recruitment of new members should continue.
3.
Attacks against leadership of Socialist Party should be intensified, especially against Léon Blum who “persists in favoring American policies”. These attacks should be accompanied by intense propaganda campaign aimed at proving that United States, “supported by Socialist leaders,” is endeavoring to give top priority over France in assisting “Nazi” Germany to reconstruct its national economy.
4.
By pursuing strategy outlined above, party will be prepared for “any emergency” as well as attain success at municipal elections in October.

Sent Department 3155, repeated Moscow 442, London 602, Berlin 288, Rome 201.

Caffery
  1. Eugen Fried, a Czech, had represented the Comintern in Paris in the period 1931–1939.↩