740.00/3–2350: Telegram

The Acting United States High Commissioner in Germany (Hays) to the Secretary of State

secret

112. Further to Bonn’s 109 to Department 23 March1 and Bonn’s 111 to Department this date2 containing Adenauer letter, following is verbatim text of reply delivered to Adenauer this date. UK and French High Commissioners3 delivered identical texts to Adenauer this date.

“Dear Mr. Chancellor: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of March 23, which has engaged our earnest attention.

In the Petersberg agreements4 both sides expressed the desire that the Federal Republic should be promptly admitted to the Council of Europe as an associate member. The exchange of view which we had with you yesterday will have confirmed to you that our feelings in this matter have not changed and we remain convinced that such membership would also be in the best interests of Germany.

We also made clear to you that separate membership of the Saar in the Council would remain subject to confirmation at the time of the conclusions of a peace treaty.

With regard to your request for an assurance that the Federal Republic will, as soon as possible, become a full member of the Council and that in the interval a German observer should attend the Council of Ministers, these are questions which exceed our competence and it will be necessary to refer to our governments in order to ascertain whether and if so how far they can give practical support to your proposal.

We have also to refer to our governments that part of your letter which deals with procedure. We are forwarding to them at once the text of your letter.

I regret that it will not be possible to give you a reply by tomorrow, or indeed for a few days.

With kind regards, sincerely, George P. Hays, Acting US High Commissioner.”

[Page 772]

Sent Department 112, repeated Frankfort 126, Berlin 44, Paris 38, London 33.

Hays
  1. Not printed.
  2. Not printed, but see editorial note, supra.
  3. Gen. Sir Brian Robertson and André François-Poncet, respectively.
  4. For the text of the Petersberg Protocol signed at Bonn on November 22, 1949, see Foreign Relations, 1949, vol. iii, p. 343.