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

740.5/3–2553: Telegram

No. 250
The Ambassador in the Netherlands (Chapin) to the Department of State¹

confidential

The Hague, March 25, 1953—6 p.m.

1270. Reference: Weeka 12, March 20.² Talk with Agriculture Ministry official revealed that as expected neither six nation Ministers of Agriculture meeting March 14 nor following seventeen nation (Spain was admitted) conference made any progress towards realization agricultural integration.

Laurens apologized privately to Mansholt for sudden reversal French position but indicated Quai d’Orsay had, as sop to Gaullists flatly ordered him to disregard November memo of understanding between him and Mansholt.³ Fanfani, although paying lip service to idea six nation economic integration consistently discussed agricultural integration in terms of “little OEEC” for European agriculture. This approach supported by French and Germans was opposed by Netherlands and Britain on grounds that one OEEC was sufficient to provide inter-governmental (as opposed supranational) organization and could easily handle agriculture as part of economic picture.

Dutch viewed seventeen nation conference as merely a show which resulted in nothing but more boondoggling by Interim Committee’s study groups working parties sub-groups etc. No agreement was reached on any substantive matter and all questions were postponed until a third seventeen nation conference scheduled for October but which Dutch do not expect will be held before spring 1954. Following seventeen nation conference six Ministers again met and decided to keep closer contact. Their next meeting now scheduled June.

Dutch now feel no progress can be made toward agricultural integration until EDC ratified by French.⁴ Agriculture Ministry spokesman indicates strong approval reported US decision to proceed with setting up German contingents for European Army now that Bundestag has ratified EDC Treaty. They expressed hope US would be able convince Bidault necessity French ratification. They very interested continued reports German Socialists may join with CDU after elections and would strongly favor such alignment. They feel that after EDC ratification and elections Germany and Italy time may be ripe for again attempting obtain six nation support for economic integration of which agriculture early step.

Chapin

1. Repeated to Paris for SRE.
2. Not printed; it reported, inter alia, that the 16-nation conference on European agricultural integration made no real progress and that the press in the Netherlands commented that the Netherlands Government was fighting for a lost cause. (756.00(W)/3–2053)
3. Presumably a reference to the Netherlands memorandum summarized in Document 245, which subsequently received Laurens’ concurrence.
4. For documentation concerning the European Defense Community (EDC), see vol. v, Part 1, pp. 571 ff.