740.00/3–2350: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the United States High Commissioner in Germany (McCloy)1

secret
priority

20. Dept agrees text your letter Mar 23 to Adenauer re Fed Rep membership in Council of Eur (Bonn’s tel 112 Mar 23, rptd Frankfort 126, London 33, Paris 38).2

Re para 4. Dept of opinion US Govt cannot and shld not give any assurances re full membership for Fed Rep in Council of Eur since US not a member that org. You may inform your colleagues, however, that we wld look with favor on any move by the Council to meet Ger desires in this regard at an appropriate time. Similarly while we wld favor do not believe US can express formal opinion re request for Ger observer at Comite of Mins. In gen it is of course desirable avoid situation where it appears Gers are setting conditions for their entry.

Re para 5. Again Dept believes US shld refrain so far as possible from entering into dispute on procedural points raised by Adenauer and Francois-Poncet since these are largely based on interpretations of Council of Eur Statute and earlier actions of Council bodies.

According to our interpretations of Statute Fr were not obligated to insist on requirement of written application and, if understanding correct, consider Fr have again raised complicating issue. However, we not of course experts on procedural aspects of Council and can only repeat how important we consider it to be that, if at all possible, Ger invitation be considered at Mar 30 meeting of Comite of Ministers.

Acheson
  1. Message sent to Frankfort as 2014 priority, to London as 1351, to Paris as 1314.
  2. Supra.