850.33/10–2550: Telegram
The Chargé in France (Bohlen) to the Secretary of State
priority
2232. Personal for the Secretary and Ambassador Bruce.
- 1.
- We can provide better estimate of date for signature of coal-steel proposal after initial French and American response to French October 24 proposal on creation European army1 is known and after we have seen reaction of other delegations to articles proposed by French on cartel question sent to Department in Embtel 2225.2
- 2.
- Monnet intends to defend vigorously position on cartel question; however, French expect serious opposition and undoubtedly will be forced to negotiate out some of extreme language in present draft. This issue should come to a head for settlement within next three weeks.
- 3.
- Belgian coal industry is second major technical question. However, if it should be decided that efforts to pressure Belgians and Germans to bring price differentials on coal within reasonable possibility of perequation should not be permitted delay signature, matter could be quickly handled by special provision for Belgian coal.
- 4.
- The Germans have been dragging their feet since the injection of the German rearmament issue opened for certain key groups in Germany the possibility that they would quickly receive the advantages and equality offered by the Schuman Proposal without accepting the commitments and limitations which proposals in present form [Page 761] would impose to all participants. Even if French had not tied their proposal on European army to Schuman talks, progress of talks would have been importantly affected by outcome of Defense Ministers meeting in New York on German rearmament. Schuman conference needs concrete evidence that US firmly supports dealing with Germany as an integral part of Europe.
(The following comments do not relate to acceptability or merits of French proposal but only to the effect its reception, particularly US, will have on Schuman Plan negotiation.) Accordingly, if US gives sympathetic support to general principles of French proposal on dealing with German rearmament, no matter what reservations US will want to make as to scope, timing, and details to be thrashed out later, talks on Schuman Plan would receive new impetus and conclusion could be expected within few weeks time. Conversely, if German rearmament questions should head to serious rift in French-American relations, or if Germans should interpret outcome of Defense Ministers’ talks as boding well for them to insist on a strictly national approach, Schuman Plan would certainly be one of the important casualties.
Sent Department 2232, repeated info London 535 for Ambassador, Frankfort 242 for McCloy.