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

740.5/8–2451: Telegram

The Ambassador in France (Bruce) to the Secretary of State ¹

secret
priority

Paris, August 24, 1951—2 p. m.

1185. Subject is Eur Def Force. This is second in series of messages described in Embtel 1184² re Eur Def Force Conf. This cable deals with present status of conf work.

A. General.

1. Since issuance of interim report, essential effort of dels has been devoted to obtaining govt approval of report and guidance for future discussions. In view of support of Eisenhower, increased interest of US and other factors outlined in first tel this series, member govts apparently giving outstanding questions serious study and attention.

2. Fr Cabinet has appointed Interministerial Comite on Eur Def Force, composed of PriMin, FonMin, FinMin, Def Min, Dep Def Min and three Secretaries of State for Armed Forces. Since creation of new govt, interested mins have been studying interim report of conf and special report prepared by Alphand on discussions to date. Chiefs of Staff Comite (Fr JCS) met Aug 23 to discuss future work of conf on mil side. Interministerial Comite also met Aug 23 to make recommendations to Cabinet for final decision. Results these mtgs not yet available.³

3. Specifically, Interministerial Comite and govt are being asked:

(a) To reaffirm their approval of creation Eur Def community with all that implies concerning Fr armed forces, Fr contribution to a common budget, establishment of common armament program, and, in general, necessary transfers of soverignty to a supra-national auth;

(b) To approve principle that all forces of member countries for def of Eur be immed included in EDF;

(c) To accept that essentially mil problem of size and composition of basic unit should be settled on basis SHAPE recommendations, it being understood that, regardless of solution adopted, the basic units should in principle depend for command, armament, financing, tactical support, etc., on integrated higher echelons or auths; and

(d) To agree to creation of Ger civil agency to handle recruitment, Ger representation in Council of Mins, and handling of def questions before Ger parliament, as well as to creation of necessary Eur agencies to carry out mil functions in Ger under auth of community during transitional period, to extent such functions cannot be delegated to SHAPE.

4. We have no definite info on status of govt action in other countries. Ger del has informed us that FedRep govt would settle its position on outstanding questions as soon as Adenauer returned. We understand that Blank will be ready to reopen discussions in Steering Comite early next week. Ital position is still obscure; however, we understand that under urging of some of its Paris reps, Ital Govt has begun to take serious interest in work of conf and may be expected give its del more backing than in past. In both Ital and Belgian case, Fr del believes attitude will depend on how firm a position is taken by Fr Govt.

5. Fr del hoping call members of Steering Comite back to Paris early next week to begin work on remaining problems on basis of positions taken by govt on interim report. At that time we will be in better position to judge results of govt consideration in other countries.

B. Military Questions.

6. Fr have informally requested assistance of SHAPE in drawing up specific goals for total forces, equipment and costs of Eur army for initial build-up period. This is required both to insure conf planning consistent with NATO objectives and to form basis for work of conf, especially in field of procurement and finance. SHAPE decision on this request now under consideration, and will be subj subsequent message.

7. Fr are proposing replace Mil Comite with permanent combined staff headed by senior mil del, to conf assisted by specialist officers from the various participating countries; this staff with which appropriate officers from SHAPE will work, is to be charged with:

(a) Working out technical solutions required to complete crafting of mil sections of treaty;

(b) Planning system for carrying out functions of community during transitional period;

(c) Preparing documents such as code of mil justice, agreement on status of forces, etc., which are either to be attached to treaty or to be placed in effect soon after it comes into force; and

(d) Making studies of problems of standardization of armament, equipment, doctrine, training methods, uniforms, etc., as basis for permitting commissioners take rapid decisions these problems as soon as appointed most important, this staff will form nucleus for future Eur general staff under commissioner, and serve useful purpose in establishing common staff procedures and accustoming officers of various countries to operation of integrated gen staff. Fr Govt plans to make available office space for combined staff in single building so that mil dels can work closely together. Fr have also assigned number of subordinate staff officers to their del. Ger subordinate officers are also arriving in Paris, and Gen Speidel expected arrive early next week as head of Ger mil del. It is hoped that combined staff may be established and start work within very short time.

8. As reported Embtel 1029, Aug 15,⁴ international staff and Amer element of SHAPE, respectively, have been working on two most immediate mil problems—size and composition of basic unit and orgn of Eur higher echelons and gen staff. Papers on these subjs expected be ready at end of this week and will probably be presented to conf early next week. These studies should enable conf to reach quick agreement these questions.

9. Work on structure of community and allocation of functions during transition period is less far advanced. Fr JCS now making study of services which could be created to carry out def functions in Ger and of closely related question of how Fr def services are to be transformed into Eur organization. Fr feel these questions can be usefully discussed in conf only when outline of organization of Commissioner’s services has been agreed upon. They agree that when this outline is available, work must be pushed on transitional questions.

C. Financial Questions.

10. At its last meeting, Fin Comite decided to establish three subcomites to deal with standardization of troop pay, drafting of “fin regulation,” and criteria for determination national contribution to Eur budget. National govts have been requested supply necessary statistical data prior to next mtg of Fin Comite now scheduled Sept 5. At that mtg, comite will begin consideration of outstanding questions.

11. Determination national contributions to Eur budget has been subj lengthy discussions at several mtgs of Fin Comite since issuance interim report. Has been agreed that statistics on national income, population, tax burden and other relevant data will be submitted by govt and worked over by sub-comite of experts to insure comparability of figures. Fin Comite can then settle down to work out percentage contributions to be included in treaty. However, dels will certainly be reluctant commit selves to definitive formula until they have some idea of what initial program will cost.

12. Germans have presented to conf a draft for “fin regulation” which will regulate manner in which budget is prepared, executed and audited. This draft now being translated by secretariat and will be distributed to dels this week. It will form basis of work for subcomite, which will be charged with preparing a final version.

D. Other Work.

13. Juridical Comite, assisted by other Tech Comites, has drawn up a proposed draft treaty and transitional convention based on interim report. These drafts have been distributed to dels on secretariat’s responsibility as working documents. Emb is working on analysis of powers of community based on secretariat draft, which will be forwarded to you.

Bruce

1. This telegram was repeated for information to London, Frankfurt, Rome, Brussels, Luxembourg, and The Hague and copies were distributed to the Department of Defense.
2. Supra.
3. Telegram 1082, August 19, from Paris, not printed, reported that Alphand had distributed to interested French Cabinet ministers his report on the status of the European Army Conference and the questions of Germany’s political status and defense contribution. Alphand was requesting agreement at the Cabinet level to proceed on the basis of the Interim Report of the Conference and on broad instructions from the Cabinet on major questions left open by the Conference. Telegram 1207, August 24, from Paris, not printed, reported that the French interministerial committee on the European Defense Force had met the previous day on the points referred to the Cabinet by Alphand’s report. Discussions at the meeting apparently proceeded very favorably. The French Chiefs of Staff committee also met the previous day and took favorable action on the Interim Report. (740.5/8–2451)
4. Not printed.