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

850.33/8–1352: Telegram

No. 84
The Chargé in Luxembourg (Ketcham) to the Department of State¹

confidential

Luxembourg, August 13, 1952—7 p.m.

8. From Cleveland. Subject is European coal-steel community.

High Authority met in continuous session all day Monday and Tuesday morning² to take initial decision required to begin operations. It has now recessed formal meetings until Monday August 18 to permit certain members to return home and clear up personal affairs. Before recessing, it set staff to work on particular problems, and Monnet and majority of High Authority members will remain in Luxembourg this week to participate in work.

In its initial mtgs, High Authority concentrated on problems concerning establishment of Schuman Plan institutions and priority work for its own staff.

1. Preparations for first official mtg CSC Council of Ministers were discussed in general terms; detailed agenda will be prepared some time next week. High Authority does not expect to place question of headquarters on Minister’s agenda, feeling that renewal of discussion at last Minister’s mtg wld be both fruitless and undesirable. It will therefore take a positive decision by Ministers to renew discussions; under present circumstances and in the absence of positive conclusions from French–German conversations on Saar High Authority staff does not believe it likely that Ministers will take this decision. Six Ministers will also discuss French–Italian proposal for creation of European political community; they will act for this purpose as govt reps and by unanimity rather than under majority rule of Schuman Plan Council of Ministers.

2. Common Assembly will hold first mtg in Strasbourg on September 10. Acting under his responsibility as High Authority President to call first assembly meeting (section 6 of transitional protocol), Monnet has already requested Blamont, Secretary of French National Assembly, to make necessary preparations in conjunction with informal comite of National Parliament secretaries from 6 member countries. High Authority approved Monnet’s initiative and his reasoning that it was important from the beginning to make clear even in organizational arrangements the distinction between Schuman Plan and Council of Europe Assemblies. Blamont’s comite has been working in Paris for past few days and hopes to complete its report before beginning of next week.

3. Court will meet in Luxembourg as soon as all of its members named: (so far only name of president (Pilotti) has been officially announced). Luxembourg Government has already made available excellent building for court so it can begin work on rules of procedure as soon as it is named.

4. High Authority staff preparing letter from High Authority requesting member govts to name producers, workers, and consumers associations in field of coal and steel. This information necessary to permit High Authority make contacts and obtain candidates for Consultative Comite. It is not certain yet whether replies will be received in time to permit High Authority to make definite recommendations on Consultative comite membership to first mtg Council of Ministers.

5. High Authority approved initial work program for its own staff substantially along lines of para 4 Paris Embtel 777 to Washington, August 5.³ It also appointed initial working group composed of Uri (France), Vink (Belgium), Balladori (Italy), Wagenfurt (Germany), Hamburger (Netherlands), and Kalmes (Lux). This group, all of whose members participated in Schuman Plan treaty negotiations, prepared specific decisions for next week’s mtgs of High Authority, in particular concerning points (b), (c), (d) of para 4 reftel.

6. High Authority members and Monnet in particular consider negotiations with UK on association to be most urgent business. Monnet intends go to London middle next week for preliminary conversations with British. Initial conversations will concern only form of British association and relation between UK and community, and will not include negotiations on tariffs and quantitative restrictions which will require more extensive preparation as well as unanimous instructions from council of Ministers.

Ketcham

1. Repeated to Paris, Bonn, London, Brussels, The Hague, and Rome.
2. Aug. 11–12.
3. Document 79.