Office of the Historian

No. 640
Editorial Note

At the meeting of the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe in September 1952, the question of the future position of the Saar was referred to the Committee on General Affairs for the preparation of a report. The General Affairs Committee selected Marinus van der Goes van Naters, Dutch Labor Party Chamber Member, as rapporteur who, with the help of the Secretariat-General [Page 1453] of the Council, began work immediately. The report was completed in two parts in August 1953. Part one, which considered the historical, legal, and economic aspects of the problem, consisted of 162 pages and was dated August 20. Part two, dated August 4, considered the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the Saar and consisted of 56 pages. In subsequent publications the two sections were combined into one report of 234 pages. Copies of the two sections were transmitted as enclosures to despatch 292 from The Hague, September 10, 1953 (762.022/9–1053), while a copy of the combined report as released to the press, was transmitted as an enclosure to despatch 125 from Strasbourg, November 18, 1953. (740.00/11–1853) A summary of the report was transmitted in telegram 18 (eight pages) from Strasbourg, September 6. (762.022/9–653)

At the end of the report, van der Goes van Naters appended a draft resolution on the future status of the Saar. The essential points of the resolution were that the Saar would become a European territory with a European Commissioner appointed by the Council of Europe who would be responsible for all external and defense questions. The Franco-Saar economic union would be replaced by a 50-year treaty of economic cooperation whose main aim would be to maintain the common market between France and the Saar, but would also contemplate the evolution of a common market between the Saar and Germany. The Governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and the Federal Republic would guarantee the settlement pending the conclusion of a peace treaty with Germany or a settlement in lieu thereof.