840.00/8–2748: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in France (Caffery)
3355. For the Ambassador. In response to press request for comment French Govt’s proposal for five power meeting consider convocation European Representative Assembly Advisory Powers Dept has released following statement:
“As stated in the Preamble of the Economic Cooperation Act, this Government strongly favors the progressively closer integration of the free nations of Western Europe. We believe that the world of today requires the taking of steps which before the war would have seemed beyond the range of practical politics. We favor the taking [Page 223] by the Europeans themselves of any steps which promote the idea of European unity or which promote the study of practical measures and the taking of such measures.”
While avoiding premature endorsement of French or any other specific proposal looking unification of Europe we intend to encourage publicly and privately the progressively closer integration first of free Europe and eventually of as much of Europe as possible. There is danger that unless progress can be made rapidly American efforts to help free Europe get back on its feet will have been wasted. There is also danger that partial recovery will produce complacency and reduce European willingness to take bold measures essential to establish real and continuing prosperity. Annual ECA debates in Congress will bring strong pressure since Congressional willingness to appropriate funds will be materially influenced by extent of progress toward integration. We wish our missions in free Europe to press in all appropriate ways for encouragement of idea of European unity and for formulation and implementation of practicable proposals to bring about its integration. We would naturally welcome bold leadership from any free European quarter.1
- This telegram went also to the American missions at London, The Hague, Brussels, Luxembourg, Rome, Oslo, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Lisbon and Bern.↩