949.5262A/8–1151: Telegram
The Chargé in France (Bonsal) to the Secretary of State 1
980. FonOff has just given me memo summarizing FonOff position on Czech overflights. Memo covers entire field of Franco-Czech relations and may be summarized as fols:
Begin summary. On polit side France has exhausted available sanctions, since most Czech societies in France have been dissolved, all Consulates have been closed, all Czechs whose presence in France might be of interest to Czech Govt have been expelled, and France has participated in decisions preventing Czech natls from transiting West Germany.
On the other hand, in the econ field there are still certain measures which might be taken:
- (1)
- The reduction or suppression of existing trade agreement in connection with which France has debit balance of 650 mil francs.
- (2)
- Termination of restitution agreement which wld mean loss of 3 billion 650 mil francs due from nationalizations, 847 mil francs which is balance of 1937 loan and French part of Czech share in Austro-Hungarian debt, which amounts to 60 mil francs annually. This wld total net loss for France of 5 1/2 billion francs.
- (3)
- Suspension of air traffic between Prague and Paris, which traffic is currently pooled by Air France and CSA and results in net annual profit of 200 mil francs for Air France.
Recourse to any of the above econ measures wld destroy hope of settling wagon-lits matter which involves unblocking of 400 mil francs in assets of that company.2 End summary.
Latournelle told me that on bal FonOff was reluctant to contemplate further econ measures including suspension of overflights at this time. I re-emphasized to him the great interest taken by the Pres and Secty in this matter and expressed the hope that M Schuman wld find it possible to take a favorable decision. He replied that he was fully aware of the nature of our interest and said that he wld submit matter at once to M Schuman for prompt reply.
Under the circumstances I believe Dept may wish to call in French Amb and discuss matter with him. Also in view of Deptel [Page 1395] 861 Aug 83 I believe it wld be useful if Brit Emb here cld receive instruc to approach Fr FonOff on this matter. Fr view at official level is obviously that we are asking Fr to take step advantages of which will flow almost entirely in our direction, while cost will be borne by them and by Dutch and Belgs; it will be necessary to make maximum of effort in order to persuade them of overriding polit considerations. Schuman will presumably feel that he has to submit question to cabinet.
- Repeated to London, Praha, Brussels, The Hague, and Frankfurt.↩
- In June 1951, the Czechoslovak Government nationalized offices of the French and Belgian-owned Wagon-Lits Company and seized a number of its sleeping cars in Czechoslovakia.↩
- Telegram 861 reported that the British Foreign Office was informed through the Embassy in Washington that the United Kingdom was prepared to make a concurrent approach to Belgium and the Netherlands in favor of the suspension of Czechoslovak flights over West Germany, and that the British favored establishing a direct connection between the overflight suspension and the Oatis case. (949.5262A/8–851)↩