740.5/10–2750: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Embassy in France
niact
2248. Eyes only Amb Bruce no distribution. Moch called on Genl Marshall this afternoon. Fol résumé his presentation Pleven plan (given us by Defense)1 and our comments thereon is for your info only:
(Begin Moch presentation.) Present NATO plans continue in their entirety. That is, MTDP, production plans, etc. No delay in proceeding with these plans.
[Page 411]Supreme Commander to be appointed at once. All troops that can be made available will be placed under Supreme Commander at once. There is to be no delay whatsoever but terms of ref of Supreme Commander’s authority are not yet decided and remain to be agreed.
Parallel with execution of foregoing plan but only after completion Schuman Plan “perhaps in 1951”, a Eur Def Min will be appointed responsible to a Eur Assembly, (no mention of procedure involved). Next step is creation of special experimental force including Ger manpower. This to be welded into Eur army by withdrawing neces cadres from Fr divisions committed to integrated force. These cadres organize Ger manpower into effective force. Eventually there can be Ger units but only up to company or battalion strength. When this Eur army organized it will be placed under Supreme Commander.
To above explanation Moch added that Cabinet and Parl had made it clear that Fr cannot accept Ger divisions whether one or ten since Ger divisions constitute beginning of Ger Army. Moch first indicated there was no limit on Ger manpower on Eur Army but when questioned said this wld depend on available equipment, finances, etc. Fr cannot agree to any Ger Def Min or Agency of any kind since this wld constitute a Ger Genl Staff. (End Moch presentation.)
Problems presented by Fr proposal are fol. Begin our comments:
1. In respect of Ger participation:
Fr proposal wld make Ger participation dependent upon an integration of Eur def establishments which wld raise problems necessitating almost endless negot and delay:
No Ger units until Eur countries had put themselves into a Eur system requiring (a) a Eur Assembly and Council of Mins and a single Def Min (b) common budget (c) control by Def Min over recruiting, org, etc. of Ger contingents (d) there is serious ques as to whether these matters can even be discussed with Gers until these things are done.
Fr undoubtedly contemplate Frenchman in this position. We do not believe other countries and especially Ger have sufficient confidence in France to accord her this primacy on the continent.
2. In re MTDP:
This plan operates over next four yrs and contemplates forces raised over that period. At present conception is that they shall be under their natl govts except as allocated to Eur force. There are most difficult and complicated questions related to authority of proposed Eur Def Min as against natl govts.
3. In re NATO Org:
At present each of Eur Govts has direct representation on NATO grps. Under Fr plan Eur Def Min presumably Frenchman wld speak for them. We do not believe they will consent to this.
[Page 412]4. In re Supreme Commander:
If he were appointed now, and Fr plan were accepted and rigidly applied, we cld not foretell when or whether Ger contingents wld be available, or whether development of forces under MTDP wld be delayed or confused by new system under Eur Def Min. This requires careful elaboration and consideration.
5. Re finance and supply:
Fr proposal calls for common budget and gives Eur Def Min responsibility for obtaining from Govts contingents for Eur force and funds and supplies to support them etc. This involves far-reaching consequences to fiscal systems, the economies, and indeed sovereign powers of Eur govts. All this requires careful exploration.
6. Re its polit effect in Ger:
Fr plan as stated seems to give Ger permanently second class status. As interpreted by Moch, status is even further reduced. Apparently Gers are even to be recruited by Eur Def Min. Under Moch’s interpretation Ger soldiers are to be incorporated under Fr cadres. Even in long run, Ger units are to be kept at battalion strength or less. We are sure any such plan wld be wholly unworkable and wld never be accepted by Ger people whose genuine support is neces.
Our point is that while Ger people might be willing participate in true Eur army in which natls of all countries were dealt with on basis of real, or at least apparent, equality, they will not participate in a plan where they are openly, in fact blatantly, labeled as inferiors.
- Marshall had informed Acheson by telephone of the French plan. A memorandum of the conversation, prepared by Miss Barbara Evans on October 27, is in Department of State file 740.5/10–2750.↩