80. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in France1

2541. For Achilles. On receipt this cable convey following personal letter from President to Mendes-France:

“Dear Mr. President:

“Your letter of January 5 and its accompanying memorandum,2 informally setting forth your views concerning your problem of assuring prompt ratification of the Paris accords by the Council of the Republic, have received my careful attention. Mr. Dulles has discussed with me the letter which you sent to him on the same date forwarding the same memorandum, and is replying at greater length. I fully share his view that it would be a very serious matter indeed if we were to make at this juncture a three-power approach to the Soviets, or if France were to do so alone. I assure you that we appreciate your difficulties and I am confident that our two countries, together with our British allies, can through our firm alliance improve the prospects for peace.

“In my desire to be helpful to you in your efforts to achieve ratification, I am giving careful consideration to the possibility of issuing, prior to the debate in the Council of the Republic, assurances closely similar to those which I issued last April in connection with the European Defense Community.3

“I send you my cordial personal wishes.”

Murphy
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 740.5/1–1555. Secret. Repeated to London, Moscow, and Bonn. Cleared by Merchant, Murphy, and Goodpaster in the White House by telephone.
  2. Neither printed.
  3. For text of the April assurances, see Department of State Bulletin, April 26, 1954, pp. 619–620; for text of the further assurances referred to here, see ibid., March 21, 1955, pp. 464–465.