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

740.5/5–2452: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Department of State

top secret
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Bonn, May 24, 1952—1 p.m.

3038. From Secretary for Bruce and Matthews. Before scheduled trip meeting¹ Schuman requested private session attended by three ministers and three HICOMers. He reported French Cabinet principal objection to authorizing signature was unsatisfactory nature US–UK guarantees in trip declaration. He accordingly proposed following modifications in fifth paragraph Doc SCEM D–2/7:² In last sentence replace “as they deem necessary and appropriate” by “as are necessary and appropriate”. Insert additional sentence reading as follows: “If the existence and the security of this community should be threatened by the action which one of its members might take to withdraw from its obligations, these forces would be augmented by the two governments in such a way as to safeguard the requirements of the common defense”.

Eden and I rejected both changes out of hand refusing even to discuss them. I then read from draft President’s message Congress paragraph beginning bottom page two running top page three Doc SCEM D–1/5A.³ Eden stated this extraordinarily strong declaration. Schuman inquired whether it could be inserted in trip declaration. I said it could not and that its very importance lay in the fact that it was US statement of its own conviction of its own interests. Schuman asked if he could send text to Paris. I refused saying we could not afford to have any risk of text leak out putting President in position of making statement which he had been forced to make under French pressure.

I agreed Schuman might telephone general idea to Paris without having text. We will meet with him again shortly. My concern is that in view of this situation that the paragraph of President’s message referred to and particularly penultimate sentence of that paragraph should not be changed. Please take this up urgently with President.⁴

Acheson

1. Reference is presumably to the first scheduled tripartite meeting at Bonn at 2:30 p.m. on May 24. See editorial note, supra.
2. Tripartite Declaration to be issued at the signing of the EDC Treaty. See editorial note, supra.
3. Draft Message of the President to the Senate of the United States. See editorial note, supra.
4. In telegram 3359 to Bonn, May 24, Bruce informed Acheson that he had “just talked on telephone to President at Annapolis. Read him pertinent paragraphs of message referred to your telegram 3038 of May 24 and particularly stressed penultimate sentence, requesting his assent to no later change in language that paragraph. President agreed completely, said it was a good statement and for you to proceed on that basis” (740.5/5–2452).