195. Telegram From the United States Representative to the European Coal and Steel Community (Butterworth) to the Department of State1

Colux 49. Reference: Luxco 162 and Colux 48.3 Following longstanding arrangement Conant visiting me here and we both had long conversation with Bech last night and conversation Etzel and Monnet this morning. This is joint message based on our impressions from these and other sources.

Outcome of Paris meeting obviously leaves EURATOM and common market hanging in air. Bech was pessimistic, Monnet and Etzel were optimistic but all held view that it was make or break within near future and another ministerial meeting terminating in failure would be the end.

Conant believes that devoted as Chancellor is to European ideal, there are forces in Germany working against EURATOM and some aspects common market particularly those touching labor conditions which forces Chancellor has difficulty in meeting. Therefore, anything United States can do to strengthen his hand through our concern EURATOM would be most beneficial. To this end we believe if Conant could be instructed when he has appointment to see Chancellor Monday4 to repeat to him that United States is prepared to [Page 478] deal far more generously with EURATOM than through bilaterals with component nations on matters of amounts of fissionable material available, speed of delivery, training of technical personnel and availability of know-how, such assurances might well strengthen Chancellor’s position in regard to EURATOM. It is hard to judge how much German reluctance to support strong EURATOM will be determining factor in next negotiations but it is our opinion that Germans might be willing to buy the common market with this atomic currency.

Bech emphasized last night whole problem was now German-French problem suffering from developing German sense of superiority and continuing sense of French inferiority. He felt Spaak alone could be catalyst to bring about successful result. But in our opinion it may be that if meeting transpires between Mollet and Adenauer they can do in this matter what they did with Saar and Moselle.5

Butterworth
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 840.1901/10–2556. Secret; Niact. Repeated for information to Paris, Bonn, The Hague, Brussels, Rome, and London.
  2. Luxco 16, October 23, also sent to Paris and Bonn, reads as follows: “Would appreciate your evaluation outcome La Celle St. Cloud Meeting and prospects for forthcoming Franco-German Meetings and for possible renewed meeting of Six FonMins second week November.” (Ibid., 840.00/10–2356) The Foreign Ministers of the six ECSC countries were scheduled to meet at La Celle St. Cloud, France, on October 30.
  3. In Colux 48, October 24, Ambassador Butterworth reported in part that he hoped to be in a position to reply to the Department’s request for an evaluation of the Ministerial meeting at La Celle St. Cloud. (Ibid., 840.00/10–2456)
  4. October 29.
  5. On October 23, Mollet and Adenauer agreed that the Saar would be returned to Germany.