Conference files, lot 60 D 627, CP 423

The Secretary of State to Prime Minister Mendès-France 1

[My Dear Mr. Prime Minister:] When I was in London I made a statement (September 29, 1954) which was annexed to the Final Act of the London Conference,2 in which, among other things, I made the following statement:

“If, out of the elements of the situation with which we are dealing— if, using the Brussels Treaty as a nucleus, it is possible to find in this new pattern a continuing hope of unity among the countries of Europe that are represented here, and if the hopes that were tied into the European Defense Community can reasonably be transferred into the arrangements which will be the outgrowth of this meeting, then I would certainly be disposed to recommend to the President that he should renew a pledge comparable to that which was offered in connection with the European Defense Community Treaty.”

I am glad to advise you that I have in fact made to the President the recommendation referred to, and the President has indicated that he is disposed to act favorably on that recommendation, if action to ratify the London–Paris Accords promises realization of the assumptions above stated. The President has communicated his position in this respect to the United States Senate for its information in connection with seeking the consent of the Senate to the ratification by the United States of the protocol amending the Bonn contractual agreement and the protocol admitting the Federal Republic of Germany into the North Atlantic Treaty.

As I stated on September 29 in the passage above quoted, the President’s declaration would be “comparable to that offered in connection with the European Defense Community Treaty” the text of which declaration was issued on April 16, 1954 on the condition and assumption that the European Defense Community Treaty would be ratified [Page 1505] and come into force. I also pointed out that my statement of September 29 would have to have certain changes in language.3 Thus, it would be appropriate to reflect the fact that it was made in relation to the Paris Accords rather than the European Defense Treaty. Certain other minor changes would be required to take account of intervening developments.

I am transmitting a copy of this communication to all present and prospective members of the Brussels Treaty and to the North Atlantic Treaty Council.

Sincerely yours,

[ Foster Dulles ]
  1. The U.S. Delegation at the North Atlantic Council Ministerial Meeting in Paris transmitted the text of this message to the Department of State for information in telegram Secto 3, Dec. 16, and noted that it was delivered to Mendès-France by Dulles during the afternoon of Dec. 16. The telegram also informed the Department that the text of the message was cleared with Anderson and Radford, with copies distributed to the Foreign Ministers of Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, and to Lord Ismay.
  2. Full text of this statement is included as Annex II A, p. 1357.
  3. According to telegram Secto 22 from Paris, Dec. 18, the wording of this sentence was changed before delivery to Mendès-France to read as follows: “I also pointed out in my statement of September 29 that the declaration would have to have certain changes in language” (740.5/12–1854).