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

850.33/8–452: Telegram

No. 78
The Chargé in France (Achilles) to the Department of State

secret

Paris, August 4, 1952—9 p.m.

770. Subject is Schuman Plan. Ref Deptel 567, July 30¹ and Torep 569, August 2.²

1. It is very unlikely that temporary seat of Schuman Plan high authority and court will be changed from Luxembourg. To change present arrangements, 6 Schuman Plan Ministers must take unanimous decision. Van Zeeland forced this approach and now it is quite clear that he will veto any new proposal except Liege. Other countries know this and are very unlikely to agree to Liege. Monnet states French position is firm on this point. For these reasons Monnet and members of high authority are moving into Luxembourg on August 10 with attitude that this seat is definite until an agreement is reached either setting up Saarbrucken as permanent seat or establishing another city as capital of Europe.

2. Decision that Schuman Plan assembly will meet in Strasbourg applies only to first meeting on Sept 10. Assembly itself will then take decision where second meeting scheduled for Jan 1953 is to be held—in Strasbourg or another city. Initial assembly session will only last few days. If next meeting of Ministers agrees to French–Italian proposal giving Schuman Plan assembly responsibility in connection with creation of common political authority, it is probable that commissions of assembly will be charged with actual work between September and January sessions. It is expected that most of commissions will meet in Paris and not in Strasbourg.

3. On basis of this situation, assumptions of Deptel 567, July 30, will have to be changed. We are now discussing two reference cables with SRE and prefer to postpone any further comments until then.

Achilles

1. Document 76.
2. Supra.