740.5/9–1750: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Bruce) to the Secretary of State
priority
1404. 1. Your telegram September 17, 1950 3 [3:30] a. m.,1 unnumbered. Following receipt your telegram saw Pleven and Moch. Parodi also present. Preliminary decision was that Moch will come US leaving here Wednesday night, provided Petsche accompanies him. Pleven will call Cabinet meeting tomorrow before giving official answer, but [Page 321] told me he was sure it would be in that sense. If you are agreeable to this idea, Moch would prefer first meeting be held September 22 instead of September 21. He must attend full Cabinet meeting presided by President Auriol2 Wednesday afternoon, which will discuss German rearmament and because uncertainty of adherence to schedules of trans-Atlantic flights, thinks date of 22 more satisfactory.
2. Before Pleven had made any decision on this point, Moch expressed himself very strongly as not wishing to go unless accompanied by Petsche. Said that German question involved aside from military phases all sorts of financial questions with which he is not competent to deal. Also, said that with Schuman already there addition of another member of Cabinet would enable them to make recommendations back to their government with more confidence and authority, than if only two of them were on hand. Moch said he felt so strongly on this that if Pleven, who had not as yet spoken on it, did not agree, he would like to take it up with him privately. Pleven agreed at once and said it coincided with his own personal opinion but that as Petsche was completely unaware of the suggested disposition of him, he must consult him as well as the whole Cabinet.3
3. Pleven stated that he did not think it would be fruitful for him to answer the presentation which I had made to him about the urgency of the problem, the essentiality in view of the attitude of the other NAT countries of having France become a party to a unanimous conclusion and other points raised in your telegram. He said that he had read Mr. Acheson’s statement of September 15 with the closest possible attention, that he realized perfectly the gravity of the present situation and that he felt a visit to the United States by two of his Cabinet Ministers, in whom he reposed entire confidence as he did in Mr. Schuman, might be most helpful.
4. He said he hoped that Petsche’s suggestion to Secretary Snyder for a meeting of Finance Ministers of NAT countries would be acceptable to us and that such a meeting would be convoked perhaps a couple of days in advance of the Defense Ministers’ meeting in October.
5. He remarked that it would be perfectly agreeable to him if the British Chancellor of the Exchequer accompanied Mr. Shinwell. However, in view of the state of Cripps’ health, he assumed that someone else would be sent if the British so desired. He said he undertood that Mr. Gaitskell4 was actually already in the US or en route, but he assumed that this visit was connected with other business.
Department pass USUN New York.