740.5/8–2254: Telegram
The United States Observer to the Interim Committee of the European Defense Community (Bruce) to the Department of State 1
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171. Limit distribution strictly. At end of tonight’s session Mendes made statement rejecting declaration proposed by other five countries as redrafted by experts. He said it was useless for him. All essential aspects of his protocol had been left out. He listed veto by each nation over commissariat, article 38, right to withdraw from EDC, his language on German unification, among others. He said he could give no indications of his intentions until he had consulted his cabinet. He asked that nothing be published; that controversy should not be aired publicly; that press release be made saying agreement had not been reached but “will to form European community was even stronger”.
Other delegations said these requests were unrealistic. Spaak suggested three alternatives:
- (1)
- A communiqué of five-nations be issued but he thought it best to avoid this if possible because it emphasized disagreement.
- (2)
- French text and counter-proposal of other EDC nations be published by six-nations. This seemed best because French Government could still use offer of other EDC countries if it wished to do so. Mendes at first refused this but later agreed to meet tomorrow to consider what could be done.
- (3)
- Spaak said effort might be made to meet with representatives of US and UK as guarantors before conference broke up. Beyen said he [Page 1068] would prefer to meet tomorrow before taking position on this proposal. It was agreed experts of five-nations would meet tomorrow at nine to put final touches on counterproposal of five nations. Ministers of all six would meet at 12 O’clock.
Spaak did not read his message from the Secretary2 to open meeting. He had long meeting with Mendes afterwards. He showed Mendes message from the Secretary. Spaak told Mendes that he thought it preferable to show him message rather than face him with it in open meeting. Mendes thanked Spaak saying that no representative of France had suffered humiliation such as he had suffered today and that reading this message tonight would have been too much. (Mendes saw Secretary’s message to him3 during meeting before making his statement.)
Mendes told Spaak he would present treaty to Assembly on day scheduled with copy of concessions that other EDC nations would have made. He would not, however, put question of confidence. He also thought that he might do this alone rather than divide his cabinet on this question.
Bourges-[Maunoury] later told De Staercke that situation was not disastrous. He believed there were many important contributions made by other EDC countries. He said pro-Europeans in France will actually find encouragement from decision taken at Brussels not to abandon essentials of EDC treaty.