740.00/6–2752: Telegram
No. 51
The Chargé in France (Achilles) to the
Department of State1
priority
8153. Subject is European Pol Community. Re Embtel 8021, June 22.2
- 1.
- Prior Schuman’s
departure for London, French Cabinet approved instrs to Pinay, Schuman and Pleven to obtain agmt of five
other Schuman Plan
countries to initiate work on creation of a common Eur
pol auth. Details are not completely
settled but plans now being discussed wld handle proposal in fol
manner:
- a.
- Fon Mins of six countries wld give Schuman Plan Assembly a mandate to draft a treaty creating a Eur pol community. This Assembly cld be set up toward end of Aug. Each Parliament wld elect national dels from its own membership. Mins wld recommend that dels be same as those sent to the Council of Eur. For purpose of drafting this treaty, size of Schuman Plan Assembly wld be increased to number of reps foreseen for EDC Assembly (three more each for France, Ger and Italy).
- b.
- In accordance with Council of Eur resolution, observers wld be invited from the other member countries of Council of Eur to attend these debates of Schuman Plan Assembly.
- c.
- Draft treaty to be prepared by Schuman Plan Assembly would be submitted as soon as possible for approval and signature of govts and for subsequent approval by Parliaments of the six countries.
- d.
- Draft treaty would complete the Eur pol structure by providing a common Parliament, a common exec, and a common court. Common Parliament wld be composed of two chambers. First wld be made up of reps of the natl parliaments (presumably it wld be continuation of Schuman Plan Assembly); second would be elected directly by universal suffrage. Eur exec or president wld initially have auth at least over coal and steel community and defense community. French apparently consider it good tactics to keep initial proposal very simple and as noncontroversial as possible, leaving it to Schuman Plan Assembly to press for expansion of initial powers into finance and other fields. Draft treaty would also propose the capital for the United States of Europe.
- e.
- An immed objective of Fr initiative will be to obtain direct election of a Eur Parliament some time in 1953 before the elections in German FedRep.
- 2.
- Schuman may consult
Eden on this proposal
during his visit to London. It is important to success of initiative
that full Brit support be made very clear. Brit support is expected,
but situation has
[Page 94]
been
confused because of proposal at Strasbourg that task of working out
pol community be entrusted to a
portion of Council of Eur Assembly
and take place within Council of Eur
framework. Adoption this proposal wld entail fol risks:
- a.
- One or more member countries of Council of Eur which are not members of Schuman Plan or EDC might decide suddenly to shift from inactive observer status to full participation in pol auth; under Council of Eur framework, they could do this without joining Schuman Plan or EDC. Resultant confusion might seriously delay ratificaton EDC and leave pol status of Ger undecided for long time to come.
- b.
- Use of Council of Eur framework, where Brit are full members, might lead to renewed pressure for full Brit participation in Eur pol auth rather than simply close assoc with it. (Such pressure much less likely in Schuman Plan Assembly, where Brit would clearly be observing from outside.) Inevitable Brit resistance to such pressure would again lead to accusations that Brit were sabotaging continental efforts toward union. Resultant polemics would tend delay EDC ratification and might drive French Socialists at least into opposition to EDC.
- c.
-
Saar problem would be raised in the most unfortunate fashion. Saar reps situation as separate del in Council of Eur Assembly, fact which has been a constant irritant to Gers in their relations with Council. If this Assembly should be given task of drafting treaty, Gers would be forced to object to Saar participation on separate basis; this would raise question of Saar status in Council of Eur and open up the whole problem. In the Schuman Plan Assembly the French and Gers have agreed that the Saar should be represented not separately but within the French delegation, so problem would be much less likely to arise.
Cavaletti informed private mtg of EDC del heads that Ital Govt wished to discuss at forthcoming Schuman Plan Mins mtg giving Schuman Plan Assembly responsibility in connection with creation Eur pol community. According to Cavaletti, Blank told him that German Cabinet had considered the question and decided to insist that Schuman Plan Assembly and not Council of Europe be given this responsibility.
- 3.
- Adenauer has asked that mtg of Schuman Plan Mins be postponed again until July 12. His plans on presentation of EDC treaty and contractuals to Bundestag have been delayed until July 9 and prevent his leaving Germany until then. It is very important that this mtg not be postponed again: If time not allowed for the Parliaments to elect their members for the Schuman Plan Assembly before summer vacations there may be an unavoidable delay in implementation of Schuman Plan.
- 4.
- Please limit distribution because we understand details proposal para 1 at present known only to limited number top ranking French officials.