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

740.00/7–2852: Telegram

No. 73
The Chargé in the United Kingdom (Holmes) to the Department of State¹

secret

London, July 28, 1952—4 p.m.

510. FonOff appears satisfied with results mtg Schuman FonMins. “We got the two things we cared the most about, that the first mtg of the Schuman Plan assembly shld be in Strasbourg and that Saarbrucken shld receive consideration.”

Hayter reported in confidence that La Tournelle told him that if decision were reached to place all organs of coal and steel community in Saarbrucken, Fr wld propose that Council of Eur be moved there too.

FonOff rep stated that Brit had expressed disagreement with De Gasperi proposal for European polit authority (Paris 584 to Dept July 25² and 522 July 23³) on grounds that it “digs a ditch” between coal and steel community and Council of Eur and also because Brit unwilling enter into special conventions to govern participation Brit reps in study for Eur polit authority. FonOff tel to field outlining Brit position stated that Brit wld insist coal and steel assembly act “as agent” for Council of Eur in undertaking study. FonOff rep, however, indicated Brit not insist on this so long as study were “under the aegis” Council of Europe. He therefore thought it shld be possible to find formula satisfactory to more extreme advocates of conducting the study independently, such as Monnet. He said both Schuman and De Gasperi anxious to accommodate Brit views in this respect.

Holmes

1. Repeated to Paris, The Hague, Brussels, Rome, Moscow, and Bonn.
2. Not printed; it briefly noted that De Gasperi’s proposal on the creation of a European political community was “quite well-received” at the meeting of the Schuman Plan Ministers. (740.00/7–2552)
3. Document 68.