Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Western Europe and Canada, Volume VI, Part 1

740.00/9–1052: Telegram

No. 102
The Minister in Luxembourg (Mesta) to the Department of State¹

confidential
priority

Luxembourg, September 11, 1952—1 a.m.

25. From Tomlinson. Subj is Schuman Plan and Eur Polit Community.

1. Schuman Plan Council of Mins met yesterday morning and afternoon in Luxembourg. First session devoted to adoption rules of procedure and appointment Secy of Council, as well as certain tech decisions on Schuman Plan matters. Suetens was appointed to represent six govts in preparation GATT waiver; heard Spierenburg will also work with 6-man comite of experts on preparations for negots with third countries.

2. At first afternoon session Monnet made extensive communication to Mins on work of High Auth to date and plans for future. He also reported on relations which had been established with US and UK and explained difficulties with Council of Eur secretariat re plans first mtg CSC Assembly. Monnet’s report well recd by Mins and High Auth was congratulated on work accomplished.

3. Mins then passed to discuss Fr–Ital proposal re polit authority, which they approved in principle in session lasting less than half hour. Also approved in principle Dutch suggestion that govts shld establish guidelines re problems which Assembly shld take into account. Matter then referred to drafting comite to prepare final proposals for Mins mtg today.

Drafting comite met late last night. Main issue was between Dutch reps who wished convoke dipl conf to establish terms of reference for Assembly before Assembly cld start to work; and Fr, Gers, and Itals who opposed delay and maintained that govts cld not dictate to Assembly. While we have not yet seen final proposals, we understand agrmt reached on compromise whereby govt reps wld participate actively with Assembly and its comites in drafting statute for polit community.

4. Immed after initial session this morning, Mins will depart for Strasbourg to attend session mtg Schuman Plan Assembly.² We will report more fully from Strasbourg on council mtg, in particular re: (a) final decision of Mins on polit authority; (b) discussion at Mins mtg re polit authority and recent Brit note on Eden proposal, tax conversations with various Mins on these subjects; (c) details of Monnet’s communication to Mins on HA work; and (d) tech decisions of Mins on Schuman Plan matters.³

Mesta

1. Repeated to London, Paris, Bonn, and Strasbourg. Apparently some difficulty in transmission necessitated a repeated cabling of the message, once at 4 p.m. on Sept. 10 and then again on Sept. 11 at 1 a.m. Internal evidence suggests that this message was sent on Sept. 11.
2. For summaries of the first session of the Schuman Plan Common Assembly, see Documents 105 and 106.
3. These subjects were discussed more fully infra and in Document 104.