Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Germany and Austria, Volume VII, Part 2

762.022/5–2054: Telegram

No. 687
The Acting United States Representative to the European Coal and Steel Community (Tomlinson) to the Department of State¹

secret
niact

Paris, May 20, 1954—noon.

Coled 247. Re Coled 246, rptd London 1052, Bonn 848.² This message will confirm telephone conversation with Fisher.³ Department pass Bruce.

1. Decisive moment appears to have arrived for Saar settlement. Determining factor is whether or not French Government wishes to conclude at this time. If so, an agreement within two days appears almost certain. If not, risk is any settlement will be postponed indefinitely.

2. Saar talks have been taken out of bilateral framework and now under effective mediation of Spaak and van der Goes van Naters. Two meetings were held yesterday in Strasbourg on Spaak’s initiative which included Teitgen, Chancellor and other Germans, Spaak and Naters and intermittently Monnet. Second meeting lasted from 9 pm yesterday to one o’clock this morning. Spaak and Naters were asked to draft possible agreement covering all points for presentation at new meeting 4 pm this afternoon.

3. Yesterday’s talks apparently reached agreement in substance on all issues except economic. Our information is that both sides agreed to Europeanization in three steps as proposed by Naters last week (Paris Embtel 4394⁴) with language modifications to suit both sides; Article 7 on Saar representation will stay as is; second and third sentences of Article 19 will be deleted; and dependence of settlement on defense community will be expressed separately from main agreement.

4. Economic issue remains major substantive problem. Germans prepared to accept with little change Maurice Schumann’s proposal of last week (Embtel 4394⁵). However Grandval and Seydoux have apparently persuaded Schumann to repudiate his offer of words “corresponding relations” and Seydoux told Germans yesterday French would not budge on this point. Naters reports Teitgen personally ready to accept these “two little words” if they are more closely defined, but activities of Quai d’Orsay officials, as reported to US, appear designed to prevent agreement on this basis. Spaak and Naters have supported several alternative formulas and believe that matter can be settled if French decide to conclude agreement at this time.

5. Major question is no longer substance but whether both sides now ready to conclude and sign. Germans assured meeting and Hallstein reiterated to us that they are ready and anxious to finish this negotiation and sign an agreement. Chancellor will not leave Strasbourg today as he planned but will stay on until there is agreement or until it is clear no agreement can be reached. He has also taken precaution of involving Brentano and Gerstenmaier, his two leading parliamentary supporters, in all negotiations. But Germans make no secret that they see little use in continuing negotiations if French refuse this chance for settlement.

6. French attitude seems less certain. On his arrival in Strasbourg Teitgen was full of confidence. He told Adenauer and Brentano that cabinet had authorized him to negotiate. He also assured meeting that French Government intended provoke parliamentary decision on EDC debate on June 1, two days after Socialist Congress. Seydoux on other hand, let it be known to Germans and Saarlanders that situation in Paris made this no time to take definite position on Saar problem, and gave impression FonOff did not expect any serious results from Strasbourg talks. By end of yesterday, Teitgen seemed more doubtful that he had authority to conclude. Nobody in Strasbourg seems to know what Bidault’s views are and what may have happened at talk this subject last weekend between Bidault and Maurice Schumann.

7. At conclusion meeting early this morning it was agreed Teitgen should ask Maurice Schumann to come to Strasbourg today to attend this afternoon’s meeting. Hallstein later told us Germans would have to consider answer this request as a test of whether French prepared to come to any agreement this time. Hallstein specifically asked us intervene in Paris if necessary to persuade French that Schumann must make this trip.

Tomlinson

1. Repeated to London and Bonn.
2. Supra.
3. This conversation has not been identified further.
4. Not printed. (762.022/5–1654)
5. Schumann’s proposal involved the drafting of an economic convention between France and the Saar to replace the Franco-Saar union and corresponding relations between the Saar and the Federal Republic would be established as far as they were compatible with the Franco-Saar convention. (762.022/5–1654)