Foreign Relations of the United States, 1951, European Security and the German Question, Volume III, Part 1

740.5/2–151: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Embassy in Belgium ¹

secret

Washington, February 12, 1951—5 p. m.

1102. Re Embtel 1263² para 6 was designed to cover possible contingency that Paris Conference wld yield a politically and militarily sound program for Eur army but entailing some delay. In this case and only shld we be fully satisfied as to polit and mil soundness of proposals we might find it to our best interest to seek out further compromise which wld not delay the buildup of our collective strength while not foregoing availing ourselves of any possible constructive results of Paris Conference.

We fully agree with detailed understanding of Van Zeeland as to how a Eur army wld fit into NATO integrated force under first phase of Fr proposal. No further official explanation yet read from Fr re their proposal but their presentation at Washington in Def Comite made it clear they wld hope for second and final phase when all forces for def NAT area of NAT countries participating Eur Army including, of course, all Ger forces wld eventually be amalgamated into single Eur army.

We understand this hope but are not overly optimistic as to practicability.

Acheson

1. This telegram was repeated to The Hague as 948, to Paris as 4225, to London as 3755, and to Frankfurt as 5529.
2. Of February 1, p. 762.