Paris Embassy Files: 1948: File—800
The Ambassador in France (Caffery) to the Secretary General of the French Ministry for Foreign Affairs (Chauvel)
My Dear Colleague: Following our recent conversation on the German situation, I venture to give you frankly and informally my opinion at this juncture.
The French notes of May 20, 1948,1 with regard to the general international situation and to the conversations in London concerning Germany, are disquieting, since the action with regard to Germany recommended therein cannot fail to have unfortunate effects beyond the German situation itself.
If the concern expressed by the French Government is based on the effect which the measures proposed at London would have upon the Soviets, it must be pointed out that a meeting of the three Ministers at this juncture, as suggested by the notes under reference, might well be considered by the Soviets as an especially provocative act.
Assuming, therefore, that the questions at issue can best be resolved through the means of the present conversations at London, I feel it essential to point out that if these negotiations, which have gone on for several months and whose general scope has become widely known, should now produce only so partial a solution as that suggested by the French Government, not only would the prestige of the Western powers be severely damaged, but this demonstration of their inability to agree among themselves would greatly encourage and strengthen the obduracy of the Soviets which, up to now, has been more and more thrown on the defensive by the evidences of the determination and unity of the West.
The United States Government is doing everything possible at this time to demonstrate its support of its Allies in Western Europe. In addition to the broad scale assistance of the Marshall Plan, the United States is seeking in particular to bolster the position of France. The recent additional shipments which have made possible the increase in the French bread ration is one such action. The favorable report of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee on the question of American association with the security arrangements of the Western European powers is another manifestation of the unchanged intent of the American Government and people to use their resources effectively to strengthen Western Europe.
If the French Government, casting aside the progress made in recent months, should now insist on retreating to so limited a program [Page 279] as the mere announcement of currency reform, pooling of foreign trade, and revision of internal frontiers, not merely would European belief in the force and unity of the Western powers suffer a severe blow, but the confidence of the American people in Western Europe would sustain an even greater shock.
Very sincerely yours,