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

740.00/3–1552: Telegram

No. 12
The Secretary of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom¹

confidential

Washington, March 18, 1952—5: 06 p.m.

4570. Re London tel 4064, rptd Paris 1935, Mar 15.²

In gen Dept supports proposals designed to strengthen Council of Eur and considers that some relationship between its activities and those of various groupings emerging in Eur desirable. However, difficult to evaluate Brit proposal, since Dept finds it hard to visualize how proposal wld operate. View EDC–NATO relationship, Art 1D of Statute, and views of neutrals, formal Council of Eur–EDC relationship does not seem possible and probably not desirable. Dept wld appreciate further info on how Brit consider proposal cld be implemented.³

Dept wld appreciate as full a coverage as obtainable of session C of E Comite of Mins, especially info on discussions polit org of Eur and relation of C of E thereto.

Acheson

1. Drafted by Preston and cleared with Camp. Repeated for action to Paris and for information to Luxembourg and Strasbourg via pouch.
2. Supra.
3. In telegram 4124 from London, Mar. 19, the Embassy noted that details of the British plan had not yet been worked out although the British did receive favorable reactions to the general idea from France, Italy, and the Netherlands, a confused response from Belgium, and opposition from Sweden. (740.00/3–1952)