740.5/12–650: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Embassy in France
niact
3122. For Bruce from Perkins. We discussed this question1 with Brit this afternoon. They were unhappy about our sending letter but Sec made it clear that we believed it neces and desirable to send it and that we were so doing.
We are therefore prepared to send letter on assumption that this will remove last road block to Fr agreement in London, both in Deps and Mil Comite. Assume timing of release will be after announcement of agreement by Def Comite or Council, but this will be worked out by mutual agreement. Text sent last night approved with following changes.
In next to last para first sentence shld read
“We know you also agree with us that it is of primary importance to press forward vigorously with the strengthening of the NATO.”
As to last paragraph we have agreed on fol text:
“We warmly welcome your Government’s initiative in calling a conference of the interested Eur powers to consider how the Fr proposal for a Eur Army can best be implemented and how the suitable political institutions pan be established for this further step toward Eur integration. If invited to attend such a conference, the Govt of the US wld be very happy to send an observer, or observers, and will do its best to assist in bringing its deliberations to a successful conclusion.”
The British here are deeply concerned because they are anxious, so they say, to demonstrate solidarity with us on these matters. They do not believe they can associate themselves with the text as proposed above. But the British here feel that they could with the text which we submitted last night particularly if the first sentence of the last paragraph were changed to read
“We welcome your Government’s initiative in calling a conference of the interested European powers to consider how the French proposals for a European Army might best be implemented.”
We feel it important to have as much British cooperation as possible in this effort and if you could persuade the French of this and to accept this as a concluding paragraph, we believe it would be both wise and also perhaps helpful to the French in the future. If not, you are authorized to settle on the first revision stated above.
Rptd niact 2933 London for Spofford. Rptd priority 4106 Frank-fort for McCloy. [Perkins.]