851.00/6–748: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Caffery) to the Secretary of State
3015. I have been for two days with the President of the Republic and a large group of Cabinet Ministers, Deputies, and Councillors of the Republic, prefects, etc. along the Normandy beach-heads for the annual June 5 and 6 celebrations. I had occasion to speak to the President about the London recommendations on Germany and, as I found him opposed to the recommendations, I spoke to him frankly and forcibly. He made no commitments but said he would talk to me again on Tuesday or Wednesday.1
I encountered strong opposition too from some others and was surprised to find how much the recently developing personal opposition to Bidault (for the “high handed” way he is running foreign policy) has seized on this issue in an endeavor to eliminate him once and for all. I pointed out the frivolity and gravity of mixing personal dislikes with a serious issue of the sort.
We are facing a curious situation. Bidault is the only man in the French Government who would have approved the recommendations of the London conference and he necessarily must defend them. On the other hand we well know Bidault’s manifest weaknesses. But at this juncture his elimination could be effected only at the expense of sacrificing the London recommendations unless some formula were evolved of approving the recommendations and getting rid of Bidault. This does not appear at all likely because up until now there is no one else in sight who will openly and publicly defend the recommendations.
Repeated London 500, Berlin 294.
- No record has been found of a subsequent conversation between Ambassador Caffery and President Auriol.↩