Office of the Historian

840.00/5–1448: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Embassy in France

[Extract]
top secret
Washington, May 14, 1948—7 p. m.

1681. For Ambassador’s eyes only from Lovett. Have worked out carefully with Vandenberg and Foreign Relations Committee text of resolution which we hope will be reported to Senate next week as Committee resolution. Vandenberg has given text to press as “working paper”. We anticipate resolution will contain substantially following language:

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Bonnet yesterday asked significance of “working paper” in connection with talks envisaged in messages between Secretary and Bidault. I told him matter was currently under active consideration by Foreign Relations Committee and accordingly I could not attempt to speculate on either timing of any international talks or eventual content of Senate resolution but that resolution eventually passed would give us both authority to negotiate and framework within which to negotiate. He asked whether such Senate resolution could be taken as “one-half of a guarantee”. I told him we had never considered any form of guarantee and he and his Govt would do well to avoid any such thought, that our thought ran along lines of coordinated policy and practical measures to increase security.

In any discussions with Bidault please emphasize that we are not thinking and have never thought of “guarantees” but that we are thinking in terms of practical measures to increase Western European security.1 You can also stress that, while we are unable to say much pending further developments in Congress, passage of resolution as contemplated would constitute strong bipartisan backing for support of Brussels Treaty countries.

(Sent Paris as 1681 rptd London as 1770).

Lovett
  1. In answer, Caffery cabled on May 15: “Bidault is not interested in ‘guarantees. He is interested in practical measures to increase western European security. He would also be interested in a resolution constituting bi-partisan backing for supports the Brussels Treaty countries. Chauvel will make all that clear to Bonnet.” (Telegram 2621 from Paris: 840.00/5–1548.)↩