Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, Austrian State Treaty; Summit and Foreign Ministers Meetings, 1955, Volume V

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

Washington, April 15, 1955—7:56 p.m.

3676. Re Embtel 4454.² In reply to Note transmitted Embtel, please inform Pinay orally as follows:

1. Proposed date May 7 for deposit French ratification instruments unacceptable. As I told Couve de Murville,³ I cannot put myself in position of leaving or even making public plan to leave for Paris to attend meeting which is contingent upon entry Germans into NATO, while uncertainty remains as to whether meeting will be held. Uncertainty about French and German deposits sure to lead to hanging back by other signatories which could produce last-minute hitches in other deposits and possible need to postpone NATO meeting and consequent public relations fiasco. To avert this danger, latest possible date for completion deposit ratification major powers seems to be May 4 and we urge French agree to this date. We intend to deposit next few days and are urging all other signatories to do same.

2. As concerns meeting of experts, we are anxious it take place as soon as possible after proper preparations have been made. As we see it, function of Working Group would be to lay groundwork for discussion by Ministers especially on timing of proposed Four-Power Talks and on possible agenda. Preliminary preparations should not require more than a week, so that meeting opening around April 27 should give adequate time. Experts would then presumably continue to meet after Ministerial meeting to work out detailed positions on points in question.

3. In order reach agreement on timetable which will meet French and our problems, we are prepared to accept following compromise: If French prepared give firm assurance deposit no later than May 4 we would be prepared agree to meeting of experts in London or Paris beginning April 27. In presenting this proposal, you should make it clear that it is a package agreement. FYI While we are sure Faure would rather face his Radical Congress with the question of French deposit still in the air, we believe the requirements of the international situation should be paramount in this case. End FYI.

4. Invitation to Soviets for Four-Power Talks, as well as timing and agenda such talks seem to us matters for discussion by Foreign Ministers. We therefore feel that any communiqué such as that suggested numbered para 3 French note can not be issued until there has been opportunity for full tripartite Ministerial and NAC discussion issues involved.⁴ This means in practice communiqué should not be issued until conclusion meeting of three Ministers.

5. FYI As concerns timing of Ministerial meetings, we would favor initial tripartite Ministers meeting afternoon May 8. Such meeting would permit preliminary exchange of views before discussion Agenda Item II at NATO Ministerial Meeting. Further tripartite and quadripartite meetings could then be held if necessary at end of NATO meeting. End FYI.

6. You should also make sure that it is understood that Germans will participate fully in Working Group discussions on German problem from time Group first meets in London. You should also remind FonOff that we are still awaiting French views on issues requested by Secretary from French Ambassador (Deptel 3618⁵).

Dulles

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 740.5/4–1455. Secret. Drafted by Palmer and Cleveland, cleared with Merchant and WE, and approved by Dulles. Repeated to London and Bonn.
2. Not printed. (Ibid.) For a summary of the note, see telegram 4449, supra.
3. Presumably reference is to the conversation between Dulles and Couve de Murville, summarized in Document 90.
4. The draft communiqué would have announced the intentions of the three Western powers to convene a four-power conference by the summer of 1955. (Telegram 4454 from Paris, April 14; Department of State, Central Files, 740.5/4–1455)
5. Telegram 3618 reported that Dulles asked Couve de Murville during a conversation on April 11 for the French view on items that should be included or avoided on the agenda for a four-power conference. (Ibid., 740.5/4–955)