740.5/8–3052: Telegram
No. 98
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom
(Gifford) to the Department of
State1
1201. Deptel 1334, August 25,2 and related tels. Conversation at various levels FonOff bear out impression that Monnet gives re mutually satisfactory Brit attitude on Council of Europe and six-nation groupings Brit obviously worked hard to get Monnet’s confidence and good will but are still distrustful of him and doubtful that he will meet them halfway in working out integration problems and relationships.
Brit appear to view Eden proposals as very flexible formula for providing some general umbrella for all integration activities and express concern only over matters which seem to threaten this vague principle. They were, for instance disturbed over Monnet–Paris differences over use of Council of Europe facilities for first CSC assembly mtg as they felt Monnet’s position prejudiced CSC assembly’s ability to make its own decision on extent to which it wld use C of E facilities. They are quite satisfied, however, with present Monnet–Paris agrmt which Paris has apparently referred to ministers ex post facto. That secretarial arrangements for first mtg will be under direction of seven member group composed of Paris and reps of six CSC nations.
Brit state they are quite happy about French-Italian proposal3 on polit authority and feel that if not “sabotaged” it will provide satisfactory basis for action.
Monnet talks with Makins were in rather general terms and details of Brit association remain to be worked out by Brit (Weir) delegation after it arrives Luxembourg next week.
- Repeated to Paris.↩
- Not printed; it requested information from the Embassy concerning Foreign Office views on the Eden proposal. (740.5/8–2052)↩
- For the text of this proposal, see Document 86.↩