740.00119 Control (Germany)/2–649: Telegram
The Ambassador in France ( Caffery ) to the Secretary of State
us urgent
497. De Leusse returning London tonight states new instructions on Occupation Statute worked out in detail directly with Schuman. With regard question decisions by majority vote states Schuman feels very strongly that questions involving fundamental occupation policy should be finally acted on only on basis agreement between three governments while other less fundamental matters on which disagreement might arise should go into effect after periods of delay allowing time for discussion proportionate to their importance. French will accordingly present proposal whereby such matters as “changes in control statute, questions of German foreign policy, etc., will come into effect only by agreement between the governments while other lesser matters would be subject to appeal of length varying with class of question down to minimum of 21 days.” De Leusse stated Schuman repeatedly emphasized to him that French delegation should make it entirely clear to their British and American colleagues that while considering such an arrangement necessary as a matter of principle the French Government would not make use of the arrangement to follow an obstructive policy.
[Page 29]For what it may be worth, De Leusse stated he remarked to Schuman that the difficulty might be that in first instance the objections to a particular measure might come from Koenig not from Schuman. According to De Leusse Schuman smiled and said “if Koenig says no on Monday, there is no reason why I can’t say yes on Tuesday.”
On question high court Schuman had no new instructions for delegation stating merely that if Americans maintained their view French delegation would simply have to state there was no change in their instructions and they would have to refer matter back to Paris.
Sent Department 497, repeated London 98, Berlin 32.