Foreign Relations of the United States, 1950, The United Nations; The Western Hemisphere, Volume II

310/5–1250

Memorandum by Mr. Harley Notter, Adviser to the Assistant Secretary of State for United Nations Affairs (Hickerson)¹

[Washington,] May 12, 1950.

Subject: Future Consultations with the French

I think the great French move just made with Germany to integrate their iron, steel, and coal industries² has a bearing on the consultations which we have in mind on General Assembly and other United Nations matters.

The French move was not the subject of consultations with us or the British. Secretary Acheson was informed only a day before its consummation. In other words, the French were afraid we would inform the British. The French correctly estimated that the British would be opposed if consulted in advance, and cool but compelled not to oppose the move after it was made.

It throws light on Ordonneau’s³ move during the Assembly last fall which was not only that we should consult the French as well as the British, but that we should consult with the French in the same way that we consult the British.⁴ In other words, this was not only to be tri-partite consultations but bi-lateral. The significance, seen in retrospect, was not fully appreciated at the time.

This, suggests that we, taking due account of the further developments in the NAC talks,⁵ must undertake, more actively and fully than we had contemplated before, consultations with the French bilaterally and with the French and British together. I think Acheson’s pattern of first having bilateral talks and then tri-lateral talks may have to be used at least on some of the questions of particular consequence to the French in regard to the United Nations issues. This means that we ought to plan for a more active consultation with the French than we have so far undertaken, even in the last assembly where we did more than ever before. You will remember that French delegates spoke separately to me and to Raynor⁶ at the end of the Assembly urging that we (the United States) develop the consultations we have already begun, and do so on more matters.⁷

H[arley] N[otter]

1. Sent to the Assistant Secretary of State for United Nations Affairs (Hickerson) and to the Deputy Assistant Secretary (Sandifer).
2. Documentation on this subject is scheduled for publication in volume iii.
3. Pierre Ordonneau, Counsellor, Permanent Delegation of France at the United Nations.
4. For information on this matter, see Foreign Relations, 1949, vol. ii, pp. 357 ff.
5. Documentation relating to the North Atlantic Council meeting being held in London at this time is scheduled for publication in volume iii.
6. G. Hayden Raynor, United Nations Adviser, Bureau of European Affairs.
7. Marginal notation: “I agree. J[ohn] D. H[ickerson]” The idea of consultation at New York was considerably expanded both at the official and ministerial levels, in the meetings attendant upon the conferences of the Secretary of State and the British and French Foreign Ministers at New York in September; documentation on this subject is scheduled for publication in volume iii.