762.022/9–1852: Telegram
No. 628
The Ambassador in France (Dunn) to the Department of State1
1704. Last evening I had a good 45-min talk with Schuman. He was in a relaxed forthcoming and confident mood which permitted me to cover a series of questions as indicated below and in subsequent tels.2
Saar.
Schuman is heartened by Adenauer’s sincere determination to reach an early and just solution. He said he had proposed to Chancellor that elections be postponed for 2 months during which time status quo continues and there would be no new developments (i.e. new parties wld not be admitted). He said Adenauer wanted to consult in Bonn re this matter and that he, Schuman, expects to hear from the Chancellor within a week or so. Ger delegation in Council of Eur re Saar did not worry him. He said that question still must obtain two-thirds favorable vote in permanent comite before being placed on the agenda. Schuman does not believe such a vote will be forthcoming.
He stressed his views that if any settlement is to be achieved the broad framework thereof must be agreed by end of year lest Saar become an issue in Ger 1953 electoral campaign.
In view of slight difference in what Beaumarchais had told us re the economic prob and that Adenauer had told Donnelly, I queried Schuman on this point. He said that he and the Chancellor had not discussed the details of the econ settlement. He did not seem to be particularly concerned with them in that he said that they are not urgent, for once the gen framework of a settlement is determined [Page 1435] the econ probs shld not be too difficult. He confirmed that on both the French and German sides econ experts are presently preparing studies in order to submit recommendations to the Chancellor and to himself. These groups he said are working separately and he believes that the French team will submit to him their recommendations within a few weeks.
Re his own position there he said that he felt greatly strengthened by the fact that the FonAffs Comm of Council of Republic had last week heard his report on his discussions with Adenauer and that they had unanimously expressed their approval and support of his actions. This he said was particularly gratifying in that he considered Council of Republic to be much more conservative and keenly interested in Saar question than the Lower House.