Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Western Europe and Canada, Volume VI, Part 2

751.5 MSP/7–2252: Telegram

No. 528
The Ambassador in France (Dunn) to the Department of State

secret
priority

Paris, July 22, 1952—1 a.m.

466. Rptd info SRE. Cotel. Ref: Embtels 309 July 13¹ and 303 July 12.²

1. At request PriMin Pinay I called on him this afternoon to receive Fr Govt observations on US reply to Fr May 6 proposal re OSP. FonMin Schuman and Min NAT Def Pleven were present.

2. Pinay opened conversation by saying that reason for his asking me to see him in presence of Mins Pleven and Schuman was to emphasize extreme importance Fr Govt attaches to this matter, which is one of deepest concern to entire Govt. He stated that the purpose of the mtg was to request that the US reconsider with the utmost urgency and at the highest levels the decisions which had been recently communicated to Pleven in response his May 6 proposals. He handed me an aide-mémoire and several annexed docs which he said were explanation of Fr Govt views.

3. Pinay, Pleven and Schuman then proceeded to describe in some detail the pol, Econ and social effects they foresee if US unable to reconsider its present position. They again referred to the very difficult sitn in which Fr Govt wld find itself in attempting to carry out present econ stabilization program and at the same time to provide an adequate def effort, if financing cannot be found for the items figuring in the additional OSP request. Pleven stated that if US cannot favorably reconsider Fr request, Fr Govt might find it necessary to call a special session of Parl to consider the matter and to auth readjustment of 1952 def budget. Schuman expressed himself as feeling that any proposal to reduce def production program wld place Govt in extremely difficult position in Parl. In addition to the normal Commie and RPF opposition, socs wld be sufficiently disturbed by prospects of unemployment to vote against Govt. With each of these groups thus opposing Govt for its own reasons, Schuman felt Govt might well be overthrown. In addition, he foresaw greatly increased difficulties standing in way Fr ratification contractuals and EDC.

4. In addition to aide-mémoire from PriMin (translated text contained in immed Fol tel³), Pinay handed me three other docs: letter to me from Pleven, dated July 21, in response my letter of July 12 (text my letter contained Embtel 303), memo commenting on our memo to Pleven of July 12, regarding recent US econ and mil aid to France (text also given Embtel 303) and memo commenting on our supplementary memo to Pleven of July 15 (text our memo being cabled separately⁴). Translation these three docs being cabled.⁵ Any country team comments will be forwarded promptly.

Dunn

1. Supra.
2. Document 526.
3. Infra.
4. The text of Dunn’s memorandum of July 15 was transmitted to the Department of State in telegram 469 from Paris, July 22; the memorandum commented on the items in the French memorandum of May 6 which the United States was not prepared to include in its normal offshore procurement program for France. (751.5 MSP/7–2252)
5. A translation of the Pleven letter of July 21 was transmitted to the Department of State in telegram 481 from Paris, July 22. (751.5 MSP/7–2252) A translation of the French memorandum, which commented on Dunn’s memorandum of July 15 (see footnote 4 above), was transmitted to the Department of State in telegram 486 from Paris, July 22. (751.5 MSP/7–2252) No telegram containing a translation of the French memorandum which was a response to Dunn’s memorandum of July 12 has been found in Department of State files.