740.00119 Council/6–948: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Caffery) to the Secretary of State
us urgent
3052. My 3046, June 8.1 After four hours of discussion yesterday which did not go well for Bidault, the Council of Ministers agreed to submit the London-German Agreement to the Assembly on Friday for latter’s approval. (It is not, of course, a question of ratification since the agreement is neither a treaty nor a convention but the Assembly will debate the government’s foreign policy, particularly the German issue, and at debate’s conclusion will be called to vote on an “order of the day” supporting the government’s position.)
The strongest opposition which Bidault encountered yesterday in [Page 323] the Cabinet came apparently from René Mayer (who is said to be a candidate for the job of Foreign Minister) and from Jules Moch. René Mayer is said to have strongly criticized the London Agreement because it does not provide the necessary control of Ruhr production, does not provide adequately for French security; and because the introduction of an “occidental mark currency” in western Germany as much as the establishment of a government in Frankfurt would tend to make for a final division of Germany involving serious risks for France.
Jules Moch took the position that the unity of Germany remained the objective of Socialist policy, whereas, the agreement would accentuate the division of Germany, and furthermore that the Socialists did not wish to support any agreement which would accentuate the division of the world into two blocs. Moch, supported by other Socialist Ministers, indicated the desire to obtain an improvement in certain conditions of the agreement. Among other things Moch is reported to have suggested that since Koenig is presiding over the Quadripartite Control Commission in Berlin during the month of June, the French should take the initiative thereby convoking the commission and placing the question of monetary reform on the order of the day. Moch’s idea apparently is that such a move might help to break the present deadlock in Germany between East and West.
As things now stand Bidault is to meet early this morning with certain Cabinet Ministers to go over the declaration which he will make later in the morning to the Foreign Affairs Commission and the actual Assembly debate is scheduled to begin Friday afternoon unless the debate on the school issue is prolonged (my 3053, June 92). In connection with the final outcome of the debate the wording of the order of the day on which the Assembly will be called to vote will be of great importance. As things now stand it is unlikely that the government could obtain a majority vote on an order of the day which implies outright approval of the London Agreement. Accordingly, there is a possibility that the order of the day will be so worded as to avoid calling directly on the Assembly to approve the government’s German policy perhaps may even call on the government to seek “supplementary guarantees” in connection with the German agreement.
Sent Department 3052, repeated London 508, Berlin 302.