Office of the Historian

740.00/3–2552: Telegram

No. 22
The Chargé in France (Bonsal) to the Department of State1

confidential
Paris, March 25, 1952—8 p.m.

5857. 1. Emb informed that deputies of Comite of Mins of Council of Europe will meet in Paris starting April 28 to study Eden proposal for integration of Schuman Plan, EDC and similar institutions with C of E (Embtel 5778 March 212). FonOff has been advised that Brit memo is forthcoming which will provide some detail to broad general proposal made by Eden and discussed at last week’s session of CM. This memo plus proposals of other member countries will provide basis of study starting next month.

2. General Affairs Comite of C of E Assembly met in Paris yesterday and Guy Mollet, comite pres, reported in press conf fol text (Emb translation) of comite resolution:

Comite, considering that association of members of C of E with specialized authorities within framework of Council implies participation with obligations and responsibilities.

Requests immed that CM bring study of Brit proposal to successful conclusion in briefest possible time in order that results apply to coal-steel community as soon as possible and that EDC treaty can encompass results without any delay to conclusion of treaty.

3. Mollet emphasized to press that he and others of comite would have preferred complete participation of UK and other C of E members in EDC but that assoc within C of E proposed by Eden did imply responsibilities and obligations which might constitute guarantee requested by Socialists in Feb debate on EDC at National Assembly (see also Embtel 5827 Mar 24 rptd London 1612 and Bonn 5693).

Bonsal
  1. Repeated to Bonn, London, Rome, Ankara, Athens, Brussels, Copenhagen, Dublin, The Hague, Luxembourg, Oslo, Reykjavik, Stockholm, and Strasbourg.↩
  2. Document 19.↩
  3. Not printed; it reported on conversations between representatives of the British Labor Party and the French Socialist parties Mar. 22–23 concerning British participation in the EDC. (740.5/3–2452)↩