840.50 Recovery/12–1349: Circular telegram
The Secretary of State to Certain Diplomatic Offices 1
priority
Following message from Secretary should be delivered by Ambassador or ranking officer to Foreign Secretary, if possible (in case of HICQG appropriate German official) at earliest opportunity. As you know, Secretary, Harriman and Hoffman have been concerned for some time that OEEC has not had sufficiently strong leadership on policy level to ensure that necessary action is taken on fundamental economic problems confronting European countries. This view is shared by a number of the European countries and we understand that Van Zeeland is circulating message very similar to Secretary’s to members of Consultative Group of Ministers of OEEC. Although Spaak’s name has been prominently mentioned as possibility for this position, it should be made clear that although we consider Spaak would be admirable choice, we are in no way committed to him and any European of similar calibre desired by countries concerned would, of course, be acceptable to us. We also do not attach importance to the precise position occupied by Spaak or some other European leader provided it is one which enables him to participate actively in work of Council, Consultative Group of Ministers, and Executive Committee and which will enable him to give high level guidance to the organization on a continuing basis. Message is being sent at this time through diplomatic channels to all countries represented in the OEEC. Begin text:
[Here follows the text of the message quoted in telegram 4139 to London, November 16, page 448, with a minor change in the sixth paragraph, where the second clause had been amended to read as follows: “to work with the Ministers of the participating countries and authorities of the US Govt to help coordinate activities and develop policies and measures to accomplish the agreed ends.”]
- Copies were sent to the diplomatic missions in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France (for Ambassador and Harriman), Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and to the U.S. High Commissioner in Germany and the U.S. Political Adviser at Trieste.↩