Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Western European Security, Volume V, Part 2

740.5/9–454: Telegram

The Ambassador in France (Dillon) to the Department of State ¹

secret

Paris, September 4, 1954—2 p.m.

983. Re London’s 1153² and 1154³ to Department. British Embassy this morning received instructions that in view of Adenauer’s reaction protocols were no longer adequate to present situation and should definitely not be communicated to French. British Embassy assumes London now considers them definitely dead. British Embassy also instructed to answer any inquiries to effect that United Kingdom is consulting with United States and Adenauer about present situation. Also on instructions Reilly told De Margerie this morning that United Kingdom had never been willing to make binding commitment to maintain forces on continent over long time and would certainly not do so now that French must realize that current situation could not be met by generalities such as agreement in principle on necessity for German rearmament which had been reached years ago.

He like we have found De Margerie and other Foreign Office officials depressed, uncertain and in dark as to Mendes’ intentions. We have impressed on British Embassy here, which shares our feeling, that French are taking foreign reaction to defeat of EDC much too lightly and that further action to make clear depth of British as well as United States displeasure would be desirable.

Dillon

1. Repeated to London and Bonn.
2. Dated Sept. 3, p. 1141.
3. Not printed; it informed the Department of State that Mendès-France had casually suggested to the British that they might consider making a binding commitment of long duration to maintain given levels of forces on the continent, joining a European arms pool, and agreeing jointly with the Europeans to common limitations on armament production in zones likely to become involved in fighting in case of hostilities (740.5/9–354).