Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Western Europe and Canada, Volume VI, Part 1

740.5/5–2852: Telegram

No. 262
The Ambassador in France (Dunn) to the Department of State

secret
niact

Paris, May 28, 1952—11 a.m.

7375. Personal from Perkins to Bruce.¹ We have prepared statement along lines suggested in Deptel 7015² to Paris which is quoted at end of this message. Secretary thinks this is all right, but that it does not really face up to situation. He recognizes difficulty of making public statement tying ratification and appropriations together, but he does want you to know that he feels quite strongly that further cut in appropriations made by House coming just before signing of contractuals will be overcome here only with greatest difficulty. If Congress winds up with small appropriation, he believes it will seriously jeopardize ratification. This, he feels, you can use personally wherever you think it may be helpful, but he agrees it should not be in way of formal statement from him.

Text of message follows:

“We have just passed a most important milestone in the building of our defenses and protection of the security of the free world with the signing of both the German contractual agreements and the European Defense Community treaty. The signing of these agreements is the foundation on which a new and stronger edifice can be built. Our allies have indicated their desire and their will to move forward courageously and forcefully to unite among themselves and to prepare with us to meet any aggression against our mutual security. The Soviet Union is endeavoring by all means at its command, including the familiar tactics of misrepresentation and threats, to block these great advances which are so vital to our safety and that of the other free nations.

“At this moment it is more than ever essential that we not waver in our support of the efforts of the European countries. If we do, it will be a severe blow to the hopes and aspirations of freedom-loving people throughout the world. This is particularly true at this time when so many far-reaching and constructive steps are being initiated in Europe. These steps will contribute largely to our collective strength. It is a time when we must continue the course on which we have embarked. We must not allow ourselves to be deflected from it.”³

Dunn

1. Perkins had accompanied Secretary Acheson to Bonn and Paris for the signing of the Convention on Relations between the Federal Republic of Germany and the United States, France, and the United Kingdom, and the signing of the treaty establishing a European Defense Community. For documentation on Secretary Acheson’s trip to Bonn and Paris in May 1952, see vol. v, Part 1, pp. 675 ff.
2. Not printed; it contained a personal message from Assistant Secretary of State for Congressional Affairs Jack K. McFall to Secretary Acheson suggesting the possibility of a telegram from Acheson to Senator Tom Connally expressing Acheson’s concern regarding Congressional cuts in the Mutual Security appropriations. (740.5 MSP/5–2652)
3. This proposed statement was not publicly released, and there is no indication from Department of State files when, if ever, it was sent to Senator Connally.