762.022/10–1254: Telegram
The United States High Commissioner for Germany (Conant) to the Department of State 1
1040. I saw Chanc this afternoon to confirm final arrangements his trip to U.S.2 He was in excellent spirits and believes vote of confidence for Mendes-France now makes successful outcome of plans initiated at London 95 percent certain.3
On Saar he has in mind wide economic concessions which he believes will satisfy Mendes-France, the emphasis being that no final disposition on Saar can be determined except by peace treaty and free election of new chamber of Saar Parl. He was considering possibility of suggesting a three-membered commission to supervise govt but on this point was still uncertain. In answer to direct question he said he had given up all thoughts of European solution of Saar for time being. He felt an agreement with Mendes-France would be readily reached and emphasized that neither France nor Germany could afford new plans shipwrecked on Saar question. I assured him that US public opinion would certainly not understand any such last minute failure on this point and would probably blame both nations equally, to which he readily agreed.
In response to query as to points to be considered in Washington, Chanc replied that if Paris talks successful he would have nothing on his mind to discuss. Nevertheless, I venture to suggest that we would be well advised to be prepared for this raising question of external assets in connection with chapter six of Bonn treaties and Ger assets in US.
Chanc is planning to arrive Paris Tuesday, 19th, for talk with Mendes-France on Saar and understands four-power talks will begin Wed Oct 20, and Nine-Power talks will proceed 21st and 22nd He will return to Germany before departing for US Tues, Oct 26, arriving Washington Wed, October 27, as scheduled.
- Repeated to London and Paris.↩
- For a summary of Adenauer’s talk with Dulles on Oct. 28, see telegram 1177 to Bonn, Oct. 28, p. 1465; further documentation concerning Adenauer’s visit to Washington is presented in volume vii.↩
- For information concerning the vote of confidence in France under reference here, see footnote 2, infra.↩