Office of the Historian

740.5/2–2652: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Office of the United States High Commissioner for Germany, at Bonn 1
secret
niact
Lisbon, February 26, 1952—2 a.m.

19. Foll is msg from the three FonMins to Chancellor Adenauer. We have given immed consideration to a report just recd of the Ger [Page 259] proposals with regard to acceptance of the recommendations of the members of the exec bureau of the TCC for the amount of the German financial contribution to def in 1952–1953.2 As we understood the position, you are prepared to accept these recommendations as the basis for the contribution. You also express the hope that in the pre-contractual, pre-EDC period expenditures of the 3 powers will be kept to a minimum, with 500 million DM suggested as a possible figure.

We are all pleased that you have so promptly responded to our hope for an early and favorable decision. While we cannot commit ourselves to a figure in the matter, of reductions which we may be able to make in our own expenditures in the pre-contractual, pre-EDC period, particularly as our calculations are in excess of the amt you suggest, we can assure you of our earnest intention to make our best efforts to keep these expenditures down.

As we told you in London, we have considered it to be of the utmost importance to reach and announce agrmt on this matter while we are here in Lisbon. We have been able to report very encouragingly about the progress of our pol arrangements with the FedRep. NATO has futhermore given full and final approval to the plans for the EDC and to the arrangements for the relationships between EDC and NATO. We know you have not overlooked the deep significance of these actions. They represent a great political success and have produced an atmosphere of confidence, of achievement and of progress toward Eur unification which is extremely encouraging.

This atmosphere must be strengthened by the way in which we complete the chain of achievement and understanding in announcing that Ger’s def contribution is now fixed and agreed. The documents which have been proposed to us are not satis as a basis for such an announcement. The substance of the position taken on the recommendations of the members of the exec bureau is satisfactory but this position is so obscured as to be unrecognizable. The agrmt with us ought to be as straight-forward and simple as possible and ought to be divorced from Ger domestic argumentation. We are accordingly suggesting [apparent omission] generally. This may well be regarded as the touchstone of the cooperation which the Atlantic community can expect from a restored Germany.

[
Acheson
]

  1. This telegram was repeated to Washington as Secto 82 (the source text). It was presumably prepared during the meetings reported upon in the U.S. Delegation record of the Acheson–Eden–Schuman meeting of Feb. 25, 10 p.m., p. 159. The circumstances attending the transmission of this and the next following four messages from Lisbon to Bonn were explained in telegram 24, Feb. 26, 4 a.m., from Lisbon to Bonn, repeated to Washington as Secto 86:

    “We are transmitting to you in separate tels bearing five previous numbers [telegrams 19, 20, 21, 22, and 23, from Lisbon to Bonn, repeated to Washington as Secto 82, 83, 81, 84, and 85, respectively] msg from three FonMins re Ger financial contribution to def and revised drafts of exchange of communications between FonMins and Chancellor and draft quadripartite communiqué. These documents, which shld be communicated immed to Chancellor, are substitute for Ger drafts brought to Lisbon by tripartite rapporteur group.

    “It is expected of FonMins to get Ger agrmt to these documents in time to permit release of communiqué in Lisbon and Bonn at 1800 Tues GMT i.e.—1900 Bonn time. This will require our receiving reply by 1700 GMT. Secy leaves Lisbon for US 2100.

    “Brit are also transmitting texts, which may arrive earlier in their system. Suggest you coordinate texts with them.” (740.5/2–2652) Telegram 20 is not printed; for text of telegrams 21, 22, and 23, all dated Feb. 26, see infra, and pp. 260 and 261, respectively.

    ↩
  2. The report on the German proposals under reference here was reported upon in telegrams 1678, 1679, 1680, and 1681, Feb. 23, from Bonn to Washington. The first three are not printed; for text of telegram 1681, see p. 256.↩