740.5/9–1654: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Dillon) to the Office of the United States High Commissioner for Germany, at Bonn1
niact
151 [251]. For Secretary and Conant. Foll is third and final message from Gen. Gruenther:
“Foreign Min Lange of Norway attended Eden luncheon today. He told me he had 30-minute mtg with Mendes-France this morning in which Mendes outlined his current thinking.
“Mendes desires extension of Brussels Treaty. Lange asked if Norway wld be welcome, and Mendes replied, ‘Certainly, the more the merrier.’
“Under Brussels Treaty organization he envisaged safeguards wld be imposed as folls:
- “a. Limitation on size of armed forces of member nations.
- “b. Common procurement system for all military supplies.
- “c. Limitation on manufacture of arms according to zones.
“Thus there wld be a forward zone in which only very limited manufacturing wld be authorized. Limitations on zones farther to rear wld be less stringent. Much of Article 107 concept was involved.
[Page 1203]“Lange asked Mendes whether he envisaged admission Western Germany into NATO. Answer was affirmative altho not entirely convincing.
“Lange got impression Mendes sincere in desire for German participation. Mendes emphasized several times it was absolutely essential for future of North Atlantic Alliance that there not be another defeat in French Parliament and that he was bending all his efforts to avoid that unfavorable result.”
- Repeated to London for Aldrich and to the Department of State as priority telegram 1137, which is the source text.↩