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

740.5/3–1154: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Embassy in France ¹

secret
priority

Washington, March 11, 1954—7:12 p.m.

3125. Paris pass Bruce and USRO. Limited distribution.

1. We have completed Congressional consultation on and President has approved statement of US assurances on EDC. Paris requested cable final text² to all action addressees. Text should not be delivered until instructions received from Department. Meanwhile, believe you should be informed our plans re form and purpose of statement and its release.

2. Statement is to be in form of personal message from President to Prime Minister of each EDC country. Timing for delivery of messages will be determined after obtaining recommendations Dillon and Bruce in Paris. Text will be delivered simultaneously by each of you to EDC Prime Ministers and Hughes will at same time inform NAC in secret session. Day or so after delivery, text will be released publicly by White House. You should request recipients of message not to release text of message publicly until time of White House release concerning which you will be notified.

3. For your background information, we have decided to put assurances in form of letter to all EDC countries for several reasons. We desire avoid having assurances directed solely and obviously at French. Furthermore, assurances can be important in other EDC countries, particularly with respect Italian ratification. We wish avoid getting into negotiation with French or others on text of assurances. Since we anticipate other EDC and NATO nations will welcome statement, this will make it more difficult for French to ask for changes.

4. We have already informed Eden and Pearson in strictest confidence of substance assurances since we believe this will have favorable influence on what British are willing do in UK association with EDC. We also have authorized Dillon show text Bidault in strictest confidence in order assist in setting date for French ratification debate.

Smith

1. Drafted by Fessenden and Moore, cleared by Jones of WE, and initialed for the Acting Secretary by Merchant. Sent also to The Hague, Brussels, Rome, Luxembourg, and Bonn. Repeated to London.
2. No further revisions of the text prior to Mar. 11 have been found in Department of State files. The text herein under reference is presumably that in telegram 3067 to Paris, Mar. 6, p. 892, as amended by telegram 3091 to Paris, supra. Dulles was informed of the procedures being followed in reference to release of the Presidential statement of assurances in telegram 38 to Caracas, Mar. 10 (740.5/3–1054).