Office of the Historian

762.022/8–2251: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Embassy in France 1

secret
Washington, August 22, 1951—7 p. m.

1122. UK Emb has asked our views on a US–UK approach to Fr re Fr intentions on determination of final status of Saar. UK proposed making parallel not joint approach through our Embs in Paris.

We have replied that we wld be agreeable to transmitting an aide-mémoire covering fol main points:

  • 1. Reiteration of our support for Saar’s interim status,
  • 2. Our concern over harmful effects this question on common relations of 3 Occupying Powers with Ger,
  • 3. Recalling our past efforts to minimize these effects by asking both Fr and Gers to avoid actions and statements re Saar which wld prejudice agreement on projects of paramount importance (e.g. Schuman Plan and European integration),
  • 4. Our conviction that sooner this stumbling block can be removed by a definitive determination of status of Saar better, and

5. Finally, after noting reference to determination of final status of Saar in a “peace treaty or other treaty” in Schuman–Adenauer exchange of letters at time of signature of Schuman Plan, an inquiry as to what Fr have in mind in this respect.

We agreed that approach shld be made through our Paris Emb. We raised question, however, whether preferable for both or just one actually approach Fr. As regards timing, we prefer to avoid injecting Saar issue into Sep Fon Mins talks2 and suggested, that presentation of aide-mémoire shld be timed with that in mind. On other hand if Schuman shld raise it in some connection, it might be most effective to have Secy and Morrison themselves comment along above lines.

Request ur comments.3

Acheson
  1. Repeated to London, Frankfurt, Bonn, and Strasbourg.↩
  2. For documentation on Western Foreign Ministers meeting at Washington, September 10–14, see pp. 1163 ff.↩
  3. In telegram 1012, August 23, from London, not printed, Holmes reported that the acting head of the German Political Department of the Foreign Office liked the aide-mémoire suggested in this telegram, but felt that the Saar should not be discussed by the Foreign Ministers. (762.022/8–2351) For Embassy Paris views, see telegram 1208, infra.↩