Office of the Historian

740.00/4–1152

No. 33
Memorandum by Elwood Williams of the Office of German Political Affairs to the Deputy Director of the Office (Calhoun)1

confidential
Washington, April 24, 1952.

Subject:

  • Eden Plan

I spoke with regard to the attached2 to Miss Preston of RA. She had drafted an answer to London’s 47553 and left it with Miss Camp for signature.4

It developed that RA is really operating pretty much by “feel” on this subject as opposed to being full of clear and detailed ideas about how the scheme is going to work and what it is going to do. The general sense of the draft telegram is that we tend to favor the plan. We apparently feel that there is no possibility of it being a device to hinder Schuman Plan and EDC operations—there are plenty of ways of doing that by more direct means. On the other hand, it is our position to welcome schemes for closer coordination of the numerous inter-European bodies that are springing into existence, unless there is good reason to think that the new scheme will only add a confusing element or be otherwise unfortunate.

I gather that RA feels nothing terribly exciting will come of this plan. There are, after all, not so many things that can be done through Central Secretariat services provided by one Secretariat for the several bodies. Nevertheless, it is felt that the channels of Central Services will do something to keep information and ideas flowing between the countries involved in the various organizations and thus do something to diminish the areas of dimness in which intrigue is always likely to flourish.

As you see, RA is not operating on very much more information than we ourselves have. Miss Preston promised to send over a copy of the British suggestions regarding the plan as soon as she can get one typed.

  1. A copy was also sent to Hillenbrand.↩
  2. The first attachment was despatch 4763 from London, Apr. 11, which enclosed the memorandum prepared by the British Foreign Office concerning the Council of Europe; see Document 31.↩
  3. Not printed; it informed the Department of State that the Secretary of the Italian Embassy in London asked what U.S. reactions were to the “Eden proposals.” (740.00/4–2152)↩
  4. The response under reference, which was drafted in the Office of European Regional Affairs, is presumably Document 36.↩