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

840.50 Recovery/9–3047: Telegram

The Ambassador in France (Caffery) to the Secretary of State

secret
us urgent

Paris, September 30, 1947—midnight.

4240. A source close to Ramadier tells me that the latter and other members of the coalition government are deeply disturbed over the news from Washington in regard to the prospects for immediate aid for France. He said that the present government has been progressively orienting its policy toward the US and has continued to oppose heavy Communist pressure to re-enter the government counting largely on the Marshall Plan and interim aid until Marshall Plan can go into effect next spring.

The Communists, who wish at all cost to re-enter the government so that they can further their penetration and influence French foreign, colonial, and domestic policy, have reacted by increasing the violence of their attacks against the present government “for selling out to the US in every field including Germany”. The Communist refrain orchestrated by its magnificent propaganda machine, is that the Ramadier Government has been “gambling on the possibility of American aid for France and that France will not only be left in the lurch by the US, but that it also is burning its bridges with eastern Europe which could help it”. (The Communists actually believe that we will eventually extend some assistance but are counting heavily on its being too late.)

As reported in mytel 4221, September 30¹ the Communist press referring to the President’s meeting day before yesterday² is gloating that “no American aid will be furnished to France and the European countries until next spring at the earliest”. We may expect this campaign to continue with growing intensity both prior to and following the elections with a view to completely discrediting the Ramadier Government and demoralizing the French public already discouraged by the prospect of one of the worst winters France has ever had to face.

My informant believes that unless France receives clearer indication that interim aid will be forthcoming the Ramadier Government will probably collapse shortly after French Parliament reconvenes following the municipal elections and that then there will be little, if any, possibility of excluding the Communists from the next government. He said: “Once the Communists get back into the government it is difficult to see how they can again be ejected”.

On the other hand, he believes that if the promise of American interim aid is forthcoming the Ramadier Govt has a good chance to survive, since all the parties represented therein (with the possible exception of a few radicals close to Herriot³) still “wish with all their hearts to keep the Communists out of the govt” and will, therefore, hesitate to cause a crisis the outcome of which would be uncertain and which probably would benefit the Communists.

Caffery

1. Not printed.
2. For a record of the President’s news conference following a meeting with congressional leaders, September 29, see Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Harry S. Truman, 1947 (Washington, Government Printing Office, 1962) p. 445.
3. Edouard Herriot, President of the French National Assembly.