Office of the Historian

740.5/12–350: Telegram

The United States Deputy Representative on the North Atlantic Council (Spofford) to the Secretary of State

top secret
niact
London, December 3, 1950—5 p. m.

3240. Eyes only from Spofford. Following are my preliminary views on current situation in light latest French position (Embtel 3239).

1.
Our basic objective continues to be earliest agreement on plan for German participation as close as possible to original US proposals presented at Council and Defense Committee meetings. That proposal essentially sound and so recognized by all other NAT governments except French.
2.
In effort secure French agreement rather than over-ride them and bring down French Government on issue German rearmament, we have spent three months and made substantial concessions.
3.
Time is running out seriously and we cannot tolerate further delay in reaching satisfactory agreement.
4.
We must continue to insist that solution be (1) militarily sound, (2) acceptable to Germans, (3) of nature to strengthen Supreme Commander and integrated force.
5.
All governments including French have now accepted idea of transitional period during which recruitment and training of German formations will be initiated while longer range political questions are discussed.
6.
They are also agreed that German defense structure should be under international rather than German control and that system adopted must (1) strengthen North Atlantic community and integrated defense of North Atlantic area; (2) be integrated into NAT framework; (3) promote closer association of countries of Western Europe and tie Western Germany more firmly to West.
7.
Question at issue has been whether foregoing criteria should be implemented directly in NATO integrated force or indirectly through new European structure. Most Europeans objected to latter and remainder prepared agree only reluctantly.
8.
It seems to me on surface French are now around nearly to where we want them but we cannot dismiss possibility delaying tactics to postpone facing issue in Assembly or avoid provoking Russia at this time. Assuming latest proposal bona fide, question now becomes one of [Page 514] finding formula ostensibly new but substantively along lines (6) above for French to present to Parliament as acceptable in principle of basic French thesis that German defense structure be under international rather than German control.
9.
Attempting arrange telecon with Perkins and Admiral Wright later today in which will pass latest information my conference Alphand this afternoon and discuss course to be followed in next few days.

Sent Department 3240, repeated niact Paris 1078, niact Frankfort 509.

[Spofford]