840.50 Recovery/3–2248: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Embassy in France
secret
us urgent
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us urgent
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Washington, March 22,
1948—11 p. m.
911. Cere 3. Following preliminary to comments on your four recomendations Rece 19 and Rece 21:1
- 1.
- We desire that CEEC countries be aware of importance which we attach to acting quickly and decisively in this critical time towards that closer integration and cohesion of Western Europe which events call for. Therefore although form of continuing organization is not in itself decisive, we would regret any set-up which was product of excessive caution or reluctance to accept full implications of mutual aid concept.
- 2.
- While programming and reporting progress are important, there are other functions relating to multilateral pledges on financial stability, reducing barriers to trade, effective use of labor and capacity whose significance in achieving real recovery may be considerably greater. The continuing organization will have to address itself to these problems which may be more difficult to handle than programming imports.
- 3.
- House Bill contains provision identical to Sec. 15(d) Senate Bill. While this does not require continuing organization itself to observe and review, it does constitute policy statement that an effective follow-up system be approved by it. This problem should be faced.
- 4.
- In preliminary talks with country reps, here it has been stressed that U.S. desires CEEC body to play major role in development all phases of ERP.
- 5.
- Re your recommendation 1, agreed. No intention here to force organization out of Paris. As Spaak suggests (Rece 10)2 this would presumably eliminate French Chairman or Sec. Gen.
- 6.
- Re recommendation 2, potential value of Exec. Comm. recognized. Presumed it would give policy direction to secretariat between council meetings.
- 7.
- Re recommendation 3, your five points seem very large mouthful to bite off at once. The procedure there described in general is the objective we seek but it will obviously take some time to get operating. One addition, which qualifies last sentence of 5, is that in actual allocation and procurement operations adjustments in any program are always necessary and would have to be made here. Such adjustments should not be construed as in derogation of CEEC programming function. Subject to that addition you are authorized to suggest, subject to necessary caveats, that type of CEEC function.
- 8.
- Re recommendation 4, rather than call in Brit, here, suggested that in your discretion, you make known views in paras. 1, 2, 3, and 7 above and advise when you feel direct Govt, approach necessary.
Marshall