740.5/9–2054: Circular telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to Certain Diplomatic Offices 1
148. Following is translation aide-mémoire handed Merchant by French Chargé September 18:2
“The plan given below is based on the following principles:
(1) Nondiscrimination; (2) Limitation of troop strength and armaments; (3) Control (supervision) of troop strength and armaments; (4) Exclusive application of the provisions specified to the armed forces (troops and armaments) placed by the member countries at the disposal of the Supreme Command of NATO; (5) Within this framework, full participation by Great Britain.
- I.
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The Brussels Treaty shall be changed so as to furnish the basis for an organization charged with strengthening security and peace on the European continent. Germany and Italy shall adhere by means of various appropriate modifications of the text now in force.
This text is to be supplemented by important military provisions.
- II.
-
With regard to the armed forces, both troops and armaments, placed by each member country, on the continent, at the disposal of the Supreme Command, the Council provided for in Article 7 of the Brussels Treaty will adopt the levels fixed by the Council of NATO upon the recommendations of the Supreme Command.
However, these levels considered by NATO as minima become for the members of the Brussels Treaty maxima which they pledge themselves not to exceed.
Compliance with the maxima thus fixed will be guaranteed by controls and inspections organized throughout the whole of the continental territory covered by agreement.
- III.
-
With regard to armaments, it will be necessary to set up two categories:
- (a)
- The arms envisaged in Annex 2 of Article 107 of the Treaty of Paris (subject to possible revision of the list);
- (b)
- Other armaments.
The manufacture of the arms in Category (a) will be prohibited in strategically exposed zones which will be marked off on a map annexed to the agreement. The Council of the Seven will ensure by inspections [Page 1232] and controls that the regulation forbidding manufacture is fully complied with.
As for the arms in category (b), their manufacture on the continent and their distribution shall be directed and controlled by the Council. The latter shall especially be charged with: drawing up the manufacturing programs and assigning the orders for the various member countries; distributing arms among the various armed forces; receiving arms imported free of charge from the United States and distributing them.
The continental countries undertake not to carry out any manufacture in excess of the orders placed with them. The Council may also authorize manufactures for export. The manufacture of armaments intended for equipping forces of the member countries other than those which are placed at the disposal of the Supreme Command, shall also be authorized.
The sole purpose of the control provided for armaments category (a) shall be to establish that no manufacture has taken place, while the control provided for armaments category (b) shall be qualitative and quantitative.
In order that the quantitative control to be exercised by the Council may be effective, it shall also apply to the creation of new armament installations, industries, or factories. In that connection, authorizations shall be issued by the Council, which will take decisions on strategic considerations. The continental area covered by the agreement shall be contained within a series of zones subject to special regulations, extending in decreasing size, from East to West. So that this system may not be in any way discriminatory and may be just, joint new arms factories may be established in unexposed zones.
The decisions of the Council shall be taken by a simple majority, a weighted majority, or unanimously, as the case may be. In the matter of control, they shall be taken by a simple majority.
- IV.
- Whether it is a matter of troops or of arms, the Council of Seven shall insofar as possible call upon the NATO services for assistance in connection with the above-mentioned controls and inspections.”
Chargé described six other arrangements outside revision Brussels Treaty text which would be necessary. In response request express in writing Chargé subsequently submitted informal memo of which following is translation.
- “1. The Federal Republic shall pledge itself not to raise any other forces except those which it places at the disposal of the Supreme Commander.
- 2. The German forces will form part of the inter-Allied combat force, in which German and Allied divisions will be placed side by side in large common units. The arrangements pertaining to this matter shall be established by agreement between the Council of the Seven and the Atlantic Council, upon the recommendations of the Standing Group.
- 3. The Federal Republic shall pledge itself not to resort to force in order to settle its territorial problems. The Council of the Seven and the Atlantic Council shall take note of this commitment.
- 4. Furthermore, the two Councils shall specify that a violation by the Federal Republic of the various commitments undertaken by it [Page 1233] would immediately entail the loss of the guarantees which are granted to it, as well as the loss of all support.
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5. Great Britain, participating fully in the military organization of the Seven, shall maintain a minimum force on the continent. In this connection it would give to the Brussels Organization assurances that the strength of the British forces in Germany would not be reduced below a certain level.
The Government of the United States would make a similar declaration.
- 6. The control exercised by the Supreme Commander over the troops placed at his disposal would be strengthened in such a way as to make the deployment and utilization of the Central-Europe forces dependent upon a decision by SACEUR.”
Chargé commented that (3) pertained to declaration agreed tripartitely last winter3 and that (4) was repetition tripartite declaration of May 1952.4
In making démarche Chargé reading from telegram said in Mendes-France’s view principal objections French Assembly to EDC were too much supranationality and UK not member. He therefore believes to make German rearmament acceptable to French Assembly Brussels Treaty must be revised to meet these two objections. If this done he prepared support it before Assembly with “Full powers of his Government”. His idea is that Nine Power Conference at London should agree upon certain broad principles and set experts to work, with time limit of one month, to translate agreements in principle into actual texts. These would then be submitted NAC and, assuming its approval, he would immediately thereafter present texts to Assembly. His intention and purpose would be to secure decision by Assembly before end of year.
Merchant said he did not want to comment on aide-mémoire until we had opportunity to study it, however French should not take for granted it would be automatically possible for US issue same assurances offered in anticipation of EDC. Situation was changed and solution now proposed quite different. He said he felt Congressional consultation needed before any statement of assurances could be issued or reaffirmed.
In response Merchant’s query re omission in proposal any mention German sovereignty and membership NATO Chargé appeared uninformed and stated he could only assume Mendes would present package proposal to French Assembly of which revised Brussels Treaty would only be one element. In response Merchant’s query re Saar, Chargé said he knew nothing as to what was planned or thought of in that connection.
Chargé said Mendes would speak Monday at Council of Europe outlining proposal in general terms. Merchant expressed hope it would [Page 1234] be in broadest possible terms to avoid risk being publicly committed and therefore frozen into position from which he might claim it impossible to retreat during course impending negotiations. Chargé said he was sure Mendes intended only very general exposition. He said Mendes was most anxious have our comments as far in advance as possible of London Conference next week.
Merchant informed Chargé briefly on Secretary’s trip Bonn and London, his efforts telephone Mendes and Murphy’s visit Paris.5
- Drafted by Fisher and cleared with Merchant; sent to London, Paris, Rome, Ottawa, Brussels, The Hague, Oslo, Copenhagen, Bonn, and Luxembourg.↩
- A memorandum of this conversation between Merchant and French Embassy officials, with the attached French aide-mémoire, is in Department of State file 740.5/9–1854. The Embassy in Paris also reported on a conversation with Parodi concerning the French proposals in telegram 1173 of Sept. 18 (740.5/9–1854).↩
- For documentation concerning the negotiations over a tripartite security declaration, see pp. 688 ff.↩
- For the text of the Tripartite Declaration of May 27, 1952, see p. 686.↩
- For a summary of Murphy’s conversation with Mendès-France in Paris on Sept. 23, see telegram 1254 from Paris, Sept. 24, p. 1256.↩