119. Editorial Note
On September 30 Secretary Dulles met with Foreign Minister von Brentano and his advisers in Washington to discuss matters of mutual concern to the United States and the Federal Republic of Germany. The following portion of their conversation concerned European integration:
“Brentano said that he had no further questions. Later he would perhaps like to discuss certain aspects of European policy. Any support that the United States might give would be psychologically and politically of great importance for European cooperation. He had in mind particularly keeping alive the European idea. Europe had grown rather ‘tired’ with respect to integration policies after the EDC, and it was recognized that the situation probably would remain quiet until after the French elections. Brentano thought that it would be particularly helpful if the United States made it unmistakably clear that it was interested in pooling atomic energy in Europe. If it were made known that future support of the United States depended on continued progress toward integration, this would provide a most useful support. Brentano said that he would report later on the Messina conference.
“The Secretary said that the United States took a deep interest in this topic of integration in Europe. He thought that there was perhaps no aspect of foreign policy which had more unanimous support in this country and the Congress. They were convinced that only troubles and wars could come from the continued division of Europe. The Secretary had been shocked at Geneva when he heard Bulganin say that he wished to see Europe restored to the condition it was in on the outbreak of World War II. For what reason, the Secretary failed to see. The United States would be completely discouraged about the future of Europe and our association with Europe if the only prospect was to go back to those conditions. Therefore, the Federal Republic could count on the United States throwing its weight in any practical way behind any reasonable program leading toward European unification. Such a program would catch the imagination of the young people of Europe, who would be provided with the opportunity to build something new and better. With regard to the atomic pool, this was an idea toward which we were sympathetic, but until [Page 331] the European plans were made more precise, we would not wish to commit ourselves to something which was unknown and which might not be possible under present legislation. What we could do would depend very much upon the European plan. However, the Secretary perceived no difficulty in getting our legislation altered in order to permit cooperation with the European countries on a combined basis.” (Memorandum of conversation, by Coburn C. Kidd, Officer in Charge of German Political Affairs; Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 64 D 199)