740.5/8–1051: Telegram
The Chargé in the United Kingdom (Holmes) to the Secretary of State 1
819. On Gen Eisenhower’s invitation I flew to SHAPE yesterday and had a talk with him. He had also invited Gen Sir John Whiteley, an asst Chief of the Imperial Gen Staff who was formerly asst Chief of Staff both AFHQ and SHAEF. Eisenhower read us part of a letter which he had written to Gen Marshall on the subj of the Eur army and German military contribution. He said that no time shld be lost in concluding arrangements which wld allow a start on German forces. He felt that the Eur army presented the only feasible means of bringing them into Western defense. He believes that the greatest element of delay will be the agrmts and arrangements necessary for a Eur Defense Min to function. He is prepared, if he can get satisfactory commitments from five govts involved, principally [Page 853] France and Germany, to undertake on a temporary basis the functions of European Defense Minister in order to get the practical business of the recruiting, training and formation of the force started. He made it clear that he wld do this on a personal basis and not as SACEUR and that it wld naturally have to be for a limited period.
Gen Eisenhower authorized Whiteley to convey the foregoing to Shinwell. I shall not mention this to British until receipt of instructions from Dept. I have informed Spofford of foregoing.
- Repeated for Information to Paris and Frankfurt.↩