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

611.51/3–1653: Telegram

No. 571
The Ambassador in France (Dillon) to the Department of State¹

secret

Paris, March 16, 1953—7 p.m.

5091. I paid a formal call on René Mayer today and he took the opportunity of saying very frankly how conscious he was of the difficult position he would be in during his visit to Washington.² He said that he was sure that Department understood French position but he was concerned about reaction of public opinion in US. He said that he had fully expected to have the protocols in definite agreed form by now but that Germans had delayed negotiations.³ He said that it begins to appear to him as if Adenauer may be more interested in a personal triumph for himself in America as against France than in working for the eventual successful realization of EDC. He said he understood Adenauer planned a countrywide tour of US with a number of speeches⁴ and he felt that this would naturally not be helpful in France. Mayer’s own position for ratification remains clear and firm and he intends to say a few words on this at American Club lunch Thursday.

Regarding financial items of agenda for Washington he said French wished only to explain and explore in a similar manner to British during their recent visit. They have no firm proposals to make. They will, however, stress the vital importance of the continuation of EPU without which they feel there can be no unity of any sort in Europe. They feel that end of EPU would mean immediate collapse of CSC.

Mayer also said they would suggest that US call an international monetary conference in September and that he hoped to make this suggestion publicly at Press Club in Washington, subject our approval.⁵

Dillon

1. Repeated to Bonn and London.
2. Regarding the Mayer talks, which took place in Washington beginning Mar. 26, see Document 583.
3. For documentation concerning the EDC protocols under reference here, see vol. v, Part 1, pp. 571 ff.
4. For documentation concerning Chancellor Adenauer’s visit in April 1953, see vol. vii, Part 1, pp. 424 ff.
5. In telegram 4874 to Paris, Mar. 17, the Department of State replied to this message by indicating that Adenauer’s plans called for travel in the United States as a tourist and that he had refused numerous invitations to give speeches. It also stated that the Department wished to discuss Mayer’s proposal regarding an International Monetary Conference with him before he made any public remarks on this subject. (611.51/3–1653)