840.20/4–749: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Caffery) to the Secretary of State
1431. For the Secretary. In view recent senatorial statements and press comments indicating rising opposition to MAP in certain circles at home, I feel sure you have had benefit conversations with Foreign Ministers re reaction their respective countries to no, or inadequate, MAP (Deptel 1125 to London repeated Paris 10261). I should like to stress my conviction, however, that in spite of the very great advantages of the pact to France its signature is only half the battle to defeat basic feeling of insecurity in this country. This feeling of insecurity rests on a widespread realization of France’s military weakness and of fact that this weakness cannot be remedied without US help.
I consider April 4 De Gaulle statement on Atlantic Pact (Embtel 1394, April 5, repeated London 2432) to embody essentials of average non-Communist Frenchman’s feelings about validity of pact without adequate MAP. While agreeing that pact in itself “was meritorious and salutary demonstration on part of US toward France” De Gaulle went on to say that to have practical value it must be accompanied by “binding and precise commitments re American aid”. This was coupled with his usual insistence on France’s role as center of European defense [Page 289] and lie repeated emphatically that France should “for the moment reserve its overall judgment on Atlantic Pact.”
As I have already reported French will not submit pact for ratification until mid-May, with result that progress MAP legislation in US Congress will have important bearing debates here. I would not wish to prophesy failure to pass MAP will result in rejection of pact by French parliaments, but I strongly believe that our representatives in Congress should know that the emasculation or defeat of MAP would unquestionably reduce the benefits of an increased sense of security in Europe which we would otherwise hope to reap and would strengthen hand both of enemies and of critics of Atlantic Pact.
Sent Department 1431, repeated London 252.