Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, Western European Security and Integration, Volume IV

100. Memorandum of a Conversation, Luxembourg, June 11, 1955¹

Luxembourg, June 11, 1955

SUBJECT

• Courtesy Visit of Assistant Secretary Waugh with Monsieur René Mayer, President of the CSC

PARTICIPANTS

• Monsieur Mayer and Assistant Secretary Waugh
• Messrs Spierenburg, Giaechero, Finet, Wehrer, Pathol, Kohnstamm; Eisenberg and Barnett

On Saturday, June 11, Assistant Secretary Waugh flew from Paris to Luxembourg and proceeded at once to meet with Monsieur René Mayer, who had been installed the previous day as the new President of the High Authority of the Coal and Steel Community.² The conversation which ensued between Mr. Waugh and Monsieur Mayer lasted a half hour, after which Mr. Waugh and Monsieur [Mayer] were joined by Mr. Spierenburg, Mr. Giaechero, Mr. Finet, Mr. Wehrer, and Mr. Pathol—all members of the High Authority; Mr. Kohnstamm, Secretary General of the High Authority and Messrs. Eisenberg and Barnett. At 2:30 Mr. Barnett—in flight with Waugh to Paris—made notes on Mr. Waugh’s report on the conversation he had had with Monsieur Mayer.

Monsieur Mayer told Mr. Waugh that he appreciated deeply the Secretary’s letter of congratulations and that his reply to the Secretary was the first document which he, as President of the High Authority, had signed.³ He requested Mr. Waugh to deliver his reply to the Secretary and Mr. Waugh said that this would be done by him on Monday, June 13.

Monsieur Mayer said that he wished Mr. Waugh to understand his relationship to Monsieur Monnet. Monsieur Mayer had been approached some six months previously with an offer to accept the presidency of the High Authority. His reply at that time was that he would not consider accepting the offer until it became clear that Monsieur Monnet could not go on. He regarded Monsieur Monnet as having laid the groundwork for future growth of the Coal and Steel Community, and that it would now be his function to build up that foundation. He expressed his satisfaction that Mr. Waugh intended to pay a visit upon Monsieur Monnet while in Luxembourg.

Monsieur Mayer dwelt at length upon the importance to him of the personal relationships which he had enjoyed with various U.S. Government officials; notably, Mr. Dulles, Mr. B. Smith⁴ and Mr. Bruce.⁵ He said he remembered with the greatest pleasure having made the acquaintance of General Eisenhower when he was at SHAPE. He stressed the value which he attached to his friendship with American officials.

Monsieur Mayer himself took the initiative in discussing the question of U.S. Government representation to the Coal and Steel Community. Quietly but firmly he reviewed the following considerations in assessing the relative advantages of direct representation and representation by a deputy, resident in Luxembourg, of the U.S. Ambassador to NATO–OEEC. No question of personalities was involved. He said he attached the greatest importance to the disassociation of the Coal and Steel Community from military organizations and programs for Western Europe; Switzerland and possibly Austria could play important roles in the expansion of the Community into the fields of power and transportation, and as neutral nations they would be precluded from being associated with any organization with a military color. Monsieur Mayer recognized that the business of the Coal-Steel Community might not be sufficiently taxing to justify assignment of a really top-flight American official on a full time basis. He intimated that he would not take exception to the use by the U.S. of its appointee for economic duties in connection with GATT, the ECE, etc. Mr. Waugh inquired if assignment of Coal-Steel Community representation to Minister Buchanan might serve our mutual purposes. Monsieur Mayer replied that this would be most unwise.

Monsieur Mayer said that he felt confident that all six countries agreed in the views he had stated above and that if Mr. Waugh raised the matter with Monsieur Monnet, he would echo the same views.

As a final comment on this subject, Monsieur Mayer said that now was a crucial time for the U.S. to show an active and real interest in the future of the Coal-Steel Community.

Mr. Waugh said that he would communicate Monsieur Mayer’s views to the Assistant Secretary for European Affairs and to Mr. Dulles. He could not, he added, make any commitment as to what the final decision of the U.S. Government would be.

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 850.33/6–1155. Official Use Only. Drafted by Barnett.
2. Waugh was in Paris for a meeting of the Council of the Organization for European Economic Cooperation (OEEC), June 9–10.
3. Dulles’ letter is printed as Document 98. Regarding Monnent’s reply, see footnote 3, ibid.
4. Walter Bedell Smith, former Under Secretary of State.
5. David K.E. Bruce, former U.S. Representative to the European Coal and Steel Community.