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

740.00/7–2452: Telegram

No. 70
The Ambassador in France (Dunn) to the Department of State¹

secret
niact

Paris, July 24, 1952—7 p.m.

544. Subj is European polit community—Saar.

1. British Embassy delivered note to French Foreign Office yesterday stating that UK favored establishment of Schuman Plan High Authority in Saarbrucken and still preferred Schuman Plan Assembly in Strasbourg. UK would be willing to support this position in other Schuman Plan capitals if it were acceptable to French Govt. In reporting this, Maurice Schumann asked me if US could also support Saarbrucken.

2. Robert Schuman had proposed yesterday afternoon that Saarbrucken be chosen as permanent capital with Strasbourg as temporary capital. Strasbourg tel 10 to Dept July 22² reports background leading to this development. Maurice Schumann said he could not give me reactions of other ministers because matter was still being discussed. Unfortunately there was no prior consultation on this subject between Robert Schuman and Adenauer. Maurice Schumann said he would inform me this afternoon of results of ministers discussions.

3. Member of Fr del present during part of discussions informs us that reception Schuman proposal was chilly. Adenauer stated his “surprise” and implied he assumed this proposal was really intended as maneuver for support of Strasbourg as permanent seat. Other ministers also were surprised and said they would think it over; De Gasperi was apparently only one who gave impression he would give it serious consideration.

4. Pls confirm urgently that in line with Deptel 7514 June 21, sent London 6834,³ I may reply to Maurice Schumann that we would support selection of Saar as seat of Schuman Plan institutions if Robert Schuman and Adenauer believe that such Europeanization of Saar will contribute to definite settlement of Saar question.

I suggest that you also authorize me to mention that:

(a) A token addition of French territory might contribute to European character and permanency of this arrangement to advantage of France and of acceptability of solution in Germany; and

(b) We tend to view that Schuman Plan institutions should be centralized and do not wish to associate ourselves with British suggestion that high authority and assembly meet in different places, altho we have no objections to such decision by Schuman Plan ministers if that is their preference.⁴

Dunn

1. Repeated to London, Bonn, Rome, The Hague, Brussels, Strasbourg, and Luxembourg.
2. Not printed.
3. Not printed; it informed the Embassy in London that representatives of the Department of State and the British Embassy had reached substantial agreement on the basis for a Saar settlement, including the point that the Saar should become as far as possible the seat of various projected European authorities especially those of the Schuman Plan. (762.022/6–2152)
4. In telegram 472 to Paris, July 25, the Department of State authorized Dunn to make the statement suggested in paragraph 4, but recommended that the statements in subparagraphs (a) and (b) of paragraph 4 not be made until the results of the talks among Schuman Plan Ministers become more clearly known. (740.00/7–2452)