Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Western European Integration and Security, Canada, Volume VII, Part 1

193. Telegram From the Embassy in France to the Department of State⁰

Paris, March 3, 1959, 9 p.m.

3172. While Embassy officer was seeing Laloy at Foreign Office this afternoon on other business, Laloy received telephone call from Jansen, Counselor German Embassy Paris, concerning French decision re Mediterranean Fleet. Judging from Laloy’s remarks on phone to Jansen, latter had impression that decision affected all French Fleet, not only Mediterranean Fleet. Laloy said this not case, that decision had little military significance, since French Fleet in Mediterranean would continue cooperate with NATO forces, and that decision was largely political one influenced by French pacification effort in Algeria. Also, Laloy told Jansen that French decision stemmed from De Gaulle memorandum of last September concerning his views on NATO Alliance. Laloy went on to tell Jansen that it appeared De Gaulle wished put French Mediterranean Fleet in situation similar to that of British Fleet. He stressed to Jansen that decision was not “dramatic” and should not be overplayed.

Following telephone conversation, Laloy remarked to Embassy officer that French decision on Mediterranean Fleet was obviously very serious matter which, he feared, would have far-reaching repercussions. However, he had felt it advisable to play matter down to Jansen, who would be reporting to Adenauer tonight on French decision for Adenauer’s background in talks with De Gaulle March 2 in Paris.¹

Laloy said that General Ely had done his utmost to persuade De Gaulle not to take step re Mediterranean Fleet, but his efforts had been unavailing. Laloy observed that De Gaulle’s decision on Fleet was “direct result of United States abstention on Algerian problem in United Nations.”²

[1 paragraph (less than 1 line of source text) not declassified]

Message Unsigned

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 740.5/3–359. Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution; Noforn. Repeated to Bonn.
1. Adenauer’s meeting with De Gaulle at the latter’s hunting lodge at Marly-le-Roi on the outskirts of Paris took place on March 4, not March 2.
2. On December 13, 1958, a U.N. General Assembly resolution, introduced by 17 Asian and African nations, which purported to recognize the right of the Algerian people to independence and urged negotiations between France and the provisional government of Algeria, was defeated by a vote of 32 to 18 with the United States and 29 other nations abstaining.