740.5/12–1951: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Gifford) to the Secretary of State 1
2813. Makins, who accompanied PriMin and Eden on Paris visit, gave us today brief fill-in. He said that Churchill had made it quite clear to Fr that EDF is not the kind of a Eur army he had in mind in his early speeches. It wld not be possible for any Brit Govt to join a supra-natl authority on the continent. Nevertheless, the UK wld do all in its power to encourage and assist in the success of both the Schuman Plan and EDC; it wld cooperate to the maximum degree possible short of becoming an actual member of these orgs. Makins said that the communiqué was fully expressive of the PriMin’s attitude which was well understood by the Fr. He added that Schuman had told Eden, just before their train departed from Paris Tuesday night, that he Schuman, had been in touch with several influential Fr journalists and that their reaction to communiqué had been very satisfactory.2
Makins said that PriMin did not discuss with Fr subjs which he wld take up in Wash3 and the Fr asked no questions on this score. Makins described PriMin, Eden et al as being pleased with visit.
- This telegram was repeated for information to Paris.↩
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Prime Minister Churchill and Foreign Secretary Eden visited Paris on December 17 and 18 and had a number of conversations with Prime Minister Pleven, Foreign Minister Schuman, and other French ministers. For the text of the communiqué issued in Paris on December 18 on the conclusion of the talks, see Folliot, Documents on International Affairs, 1951, p. 141.
In his message of December 19 to Secretary Acheson (see footnote 4, p. 957), Eden observed that the French and General Eisenhower were well pleased with the communiqué. Eden felt that this step covered the immediate need of helping to make the EDC more acceptable to European opinion. (740.5/12–2051)
↩ - Prime Minister Churchill was scheduled to visit Washington in January 1952.↩