740.5/4–1354: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Department of State 1
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Secto 5. For Acting Secretary from the Secretary. Limited distribution. At morning meeting with Eden April 12, I raised question EDC saying that of all problems we face the general situation of France seems the most serious. I said that I feared France has reached position where government no longer capable taking hard decisions required of great power and that possibility existed her weakness would leave vacuum in Asia, Africa and the continent into which our enemies [Page 931] would be tempted to move. I noted that even in Morocco, Spain in reflection on French weakness was giving signs of attempting to improve her position at expense of French. I said we could find no alternative to EDC and that time was of the utmost importance, particularly with growing restlessness of Germans.
Eden confirmed his conviction likewise that there is no good alternative to EDC. He said that as far as he could see Juin and certain Frenchmen were thinking in terms of admitting Germany to NATO, subject, however, unilaterally to restrictions of EDC treaty. We agreed this was totally unrealistic.
Kirkpatrick suggested that if EDC fails of ratification, we should place contractuals in effect, notwithstanding French objections which could be expected, and encourage Adenauer to build up police to strength proportionate to East German police. This he calculated would run to equivalent of six to eight divisions. The High Commissioners would, of course, be abolished.
I cited problems inherent in moving in this fashion without French concurrence and sequential necessity of renegotiating contractuals.
Eden, this point, suggested that it might be better to bring Germany directly into NATO and indicated that he was far from certain that the French would veto such action if they rejected EDC. The closing note of discussion was Eden’s statement that he knew of “no better hole” than EDC.
- Repeated to Paris for Dillon and Bruce and to Bonn for Conant. Dulles and MacArthur traveled to London and Paris, Apr. 11–15 for talks with British and French officials on a variety of topics. Memoranda of their conversations with French officials concerning EDC on Apr. 14 are printed on pp. 932 and 936.↩