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

740.00/10–352: Telegram

No. 117
The Consul at Strasbourg (Andrews) to the Department of State¹

secret

Strasbourg, October 3, 1952—5 p.m.

140. Ref Contel 102, Sept 26² and Deptel 27, Sept 28.³

Summary of my conversation this morning with SecGen Paris follows.

In response to a question Paris said that he was greatly encouraged by Assembly session recently concluded, and that he had not changed ideas expressed to Koren on Sept 25 (Contel 102, Sept 26). Formation of EPC by six Schuman Plan countries was absolutely essential to future of Eur, while approval by CSC Assembly of CE Assembly’s opinion on Eden proposals was essential for ratification of EPC by 6 natl Paris. Latter belief had been strengthened by well-nigh unanimous vote in favor draft opinion. He now thought that, in addition to Fr and Belg Paris, serious difficulties wld be encountered by EPC project in Neths and Ger Paris if Consultative Assembly’s opinion not acted upon favorably by CSC Assembly. As made clear in Assembly, Ger Socs were opposed to establishment EPC without close association with UK and there might even be similar opposition on part of certain coalition party members in view of Christian Demo Gersten Maier’s strong statements advocating such association (Contel 134, Oct 1⁴).

Paris felt confident that CSC Assembly wld accept Council Eur Assembly opinion. He based his belief on careful analysis of list of dels common to both Assemblies in connection with their positive votes and with polit affiliations of those not present at vote on Sept 30 and also on polit affiliations of non-Council Eur reps in CSC Assembly, and he estimated conservatively that 43 of 78 CSC Assembly reps were in favor, thus assuring necessary simple majority. Reynaud and fellow independent Republican Maroger wld probably vote negatively, but in view his endorsements of Eden proposals before Consultative Assembly Spaak was in no position to oppose latter’s opinion.

Paris replied in affirmative to question whether Committee Mins wld approve Assembly’s opinion, stating that Comite Mins had approved original Eden proposals in principle (Contel 151, May 23⁵) and furthermore wld not now go counter to near-unanimity of Assembly. Probable developments wld be as follows: Comite Mins wld approve Assembly’s Sept 30 opinion in principle and wld wait until bureaus of two Assemblies had reached agrmt before formally adopting it.

SecGen reiterated his idea (revealed to Koren Sept 25) concerning protocol to EPC treaty to be signed by all Council Eur countries providing for consultative body of Mins and Assembly composed of Council Eur members entitled express opinions matter relating to EPC. He said that since Schuman Plan treaty provided for econ council of consultative nature there was no reason why there shld not be polit consultative body connected with EPC institutions.

While he did not believe that proposed right of non-CSC observers to speak in CSC Assembly wld meet with difficulty at hands of latter, Paris thought that agrmt on conditions under which such observers might speak wld require thorough negots between CSC and Council Eur. He implied that Council Eur Assembly wld readily concede that under certain circumstances observers shld not have right to speak.

Paris was most hopeful when speaking of Section D of Document AS (4)86⁶ regarding Council Eur Secretariat, explaining that certain provisions of that section were already being put into practice. De Neree, clerk of CSC Assembly, had asked him for use of 6 Secretariat officials to aid in work of Pre-Constituent Comite and Ad Hoc Assembly, as well as Secretariat’s Directorate of Studies, Translators and Interpreters.

Andrews

1. Repeated to Paris, London, Bonn, Rome, Brussels, The Hague, Luxembourg, Athens, Ankara, Copenhagen, Dublin, Oslo, Stockholm, Vienna, Reykjavik, Ottawa, and Wellington.
2. See footnote 3, Document 114.
3. Document 114.
4. Not printed; it summarized the debate during the closing meeting of the Fourth Ordinary Session of the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe. This debate, which took place on Sept. 30, concerned the Eden proposals regarding the political organization of Europe. (740.00/10–152)
5. Not printed; it transmitted the text of the resolution concerning the Eden proposals adopted during the Eleventh Session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on May 23. (740.00/5–2352) See Document 38.
6. This is a reference to Opinion 3 concerning the best means of giving effect to the Eden proposals, which was approved during the Fourth Ordinary Session (Second Part) of the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe. See Document 110.