Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Western European Security, Volume V, Part 1

740.5/4–952: Telegram

The Ambassador in France (Dunn) to the Department of State ¹

secret

Paris, April 9, 1952—4 p.m.

6197. Subj is European Defense Community.

1. Alphand laid before Steering Comite afternoon April 8 text British qualified acceptance of proposal for mutual defense guarantee between UK and EDC (see Embtel 6154, April 7²). He asked Brit observer (Hayter, UK Min Paris) if latter wished to say anything. Hayter said Brit answer spoke for itself. It met conf proposal in being an “automatic” defense commitment, tho it was limited in time. One thing Hayter thought he cld add was that “this is as far as we shall go.” There were fruitful fields for cooperation between UK and EDC but everyone shld understand by now that UK cannot and will not join in EDC. Finally, Hayter said his govt was anxious that this def arrangement between it and EDC if agreed, be made public at proper time in proper fashion. He urged therefore that it be communicated to press only in fashion and at time to be decided upon jointly by UK and EDC Conference.

2. Starting round of very cordial little speeches, Van Vredenburch expressed satis at Brit answer, which he thought conf shld fully accept. He said Brit had broken serious conf deadlock. Further, Brit were offering “an engagement which binds not men but states and not for brief but for considerable period of time.” For this his govt wld be thankful. In time, perhaps, Van Vredenburch added, we will get similar engagements from others as well. But no need to talk about that now. Now was time to thank UK. De Staercke fully associated his govt with Van Vredenburch’s remarks. Lombardo also expressed his gratitude. Italian Government wld study Brit answer soonest. Blank said that when time came to make Brit answer public, effect in FedRep wld be great and favorable in extreme. Brit answer marked milestone in Eur affairs, and Gers duly grateful. Luxembourg ditto. Alphand summed up by saying that without this answer from UK there wld have been no EDC. French Cabinet was taking up UK answer and reaction wld doubtless be favorable. Engagement UK willing to undertake will “contribute to creating necessary bond between UK and the Eur which is aborning.”

3. Alphand asked Chairman Juridical Comite to bring Steering Comite up to date on discussion re defense guarantees and EDC–NATO relations, which had been suspended pending receipt of Brit reply. Juridical Comite Chairman reported:

(a) Agreement on text of protocol embodying EDC defense guarantee to NATO, as reported Embtel 5552, 13 March.³

(b) Agreement to adopt language closely similar to that of deputies report approved in NATO, concerning:

i) Joint meetings of EDC and NATO Councils of Mins,

ii) Cooperation between NATO and EDC civilian agencies, and

iii) Collaboration between NATO and EDC military agencies.

This agreement reported respectively in paras 5(c), (a) and (b) of Embtel 5559, 13 March³ (see also Embtels 5497, 11 March⁴ and 5498, 11 March.⁵

(c) Agreement on provisions to be included in treaty stating that decisions taken at joint mtgs of EDC and NATO Councils will be binding on EDC institutions. This agreement reported Embtel 5554, 13 March.⁶

Steering Comite will resume consideration questions of defense guarantees and EDC–NATO relations this morning.⁷

Dunn

1. Repeated to London, Bonn, Rome, The Hague, Brussels, and Luxembourg.
2. Not printed; it contained the text of the British reply to the EDC conference request for an exchange of automatic mutual security guarantees between the United Kingdom and the EDC. Dunn characterized this reply as “qualified acceptance, with guarantee limited to duration of UK membership in NAT” (740.5/4–752).
3. Not printed. (740.5/3–1352)
3. Not printed. (740.5/3–1352)
4. Not printed; it reported the results of a Juridical Committee meeting of Mar. 11 at which the chief German Delegate introduced a revised and extended draft German proposal on EDC–NATO relations (740.5/3–1152).
5. Not printed; it reported on the discussions in the Juridical Committee of Mar. 11 with respect to the draft German proposal on EDC–NATO relations (740.5/3–1152).
6. Not printed.(740.5/3–1352)
7. In telegram 6229 from Paris, Apr. 10, Dunn reported that Alphand and Lombardo, respectively, had informed both the Steering Committee and the rapporteur group late on Apr. 9 that the French and Italian Governments had considered and declared themselves highly pleased with the British offer to enter into a system of mutual defense guarantees with the EDC. The British observer, Hayter, was thus informed that the EDC conference was now agreed with the government of the United Kingdom to exchange mutual defense guarantees in the form suggested by the United Kingdom. It was agreed to make the matter public simultaneously in the six capitals involved “some time around Tuesday, Apr. 15” (740.5/4–1052).