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

740.00/9–1852: Telegram

No. 111
The Ambassador in France (Dunn) to the Department of State¹

secret
priority

Paris, September 18, 1952—6 p.m.

1710. Re Strasbourg 69, 46 and 44 to Dept,² Embtel 1453, Sept 7;³ Deptel 1273, Sept 4;⁴ Topol 88, Aug 15.⁵

1. Article B of Foreign Mins resolution inviting CSC assembly to draft treaty for EPC Wash modified in Luxembourg for express purpose of enabling US observers to attend. Invitation was accepted by assembly without modification. According to Monnet and advisors to Spaak, Spaak and Vice-Presidents of CSC assembly in acting on Art B on Monday, Sept 15, decided to invite US to have observers attend at assembly and comite discussions.⁶ Spaak preferred reference not be made to this matter during open assembly session Monday.

• First, he thought such quick action might give impression that EPC was developing under US pressure and supervision.
• Second, he and other officers were unclear as to whether US shld have right of limited participation such as that given to parliamentary observers from Council of Europe countries.

2. In conversation with Tomlinson in Luxembourg, German and Italian officials particularly pressed point of US observers. Germans expressed desire for US to participate on same basis as British. Tomlinson replied along lines of Deptel 1273, Sept 4, and Embtel 1453, Sept 7, discouraging any thought of observers from US legislative branch and suggested desirability of delaying decision, particularly on giving formal status to US observers at this time. He made same observations in Strasbourg to Monnet and to Spaak’s informal advisors, adding that in his view US Govt would consider it embarrassing for its observers to have right of participation in any way in work of assembly, including oral and written communication.

3. Marjoribanks indicated that UK was still undecided as to whether they would wish to attach govt officials as advisors to UK parliamentary observers or whether they would wish to have govt observers separate from parliamentary observers. He said Eden seemed to prefer two separate sets of observers. Tomlinson suggested to Monnet that it might also be preferable to delay decision on nature of invitation to us until arrangements with UK were completed.

4. After talk with Spaak late Monday, Sept 15, Monnet said officers of assembly would probably issue invitation for US to have officials attend sessions as observers without participation in any way in discussions or work of assembly. He said that Spaak also wished to extend invitation in a manner which would not set a precedent for countries other than US and UK to have govt observers. He thought this problem might be avoided by tying invitation to US and UK representation to coal and steel community. Spaak may also prefer such an arrangement because of his insistence that ad hoc assembly be considered as emanating from CSC assembly. Tomlinson replied to Monnet that manner of invitation need not change US Govt’s intentions to follow developments with small group described in Topol 88 and Embtel 1453.

5. We will continue to follow EPC developments informally but question of US representation will continue to arise and we may be asked to give more definite guidance on arrangements US would accept for formal observation if invited. We will discuss further with Perkins in Paris after meeting in London.⁷

6. Koren will go to Strasbourg to report on ad hoc assembly comite mtg scheduled for Sept 20 and will stay over following week to report on subsequent developments. He will also be available to help on Council of Europe developments. Communications on CSC and EPC developments will be kept in separate series. We have discussed this message with Amb Draper and Amb Merchant and they approve.

Dunn

1. Repeated to London, Bonn, Rome, Brussels, The Hague, Luxembourg, and Strasbourg.
2. Telegram 69 is not printed, but see Document 109. For telegrams 46 and 44, see Documents 104 and 103, respectively.
3. Document 101.
4. Document 100.
5. Document 85.
6. For information concerning the Sept. 15 meeting of the Ad Hoc Assembly, see Document 109.
7. Assistant Secretary of State Perkins was scheduled to visit Paris following the London Ambassadors meeting planned for Sept. 24–26; for information concerning the Ambassadors meeting, see Document 113.