Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Germany and Austria, Volume VII, Part 2

762.022/9–953: Telegram

No. 641
The Secretary of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom¹

secret

Washington, September 9, 1953—7:43 p.m.

1291. Now that Adenauer has won such impressive election victory,² Department trusts that he and French may shortly be willing resume efforts work out Saar settlement or at least reach basic agreement on principles of such settlement. Though we do not agree with French that settlement constitutes bona fide condition for their EDC ratification, we have for some time considered serious effort desirable to attain same, both with view to settling this serious obstacle Franco-German relations and also just as we hope that 4-power meeting on Germany may help clear air for action by French Parliament re contractual and EDC treaties.³

London requested approach FonOff along above lines, with suggestion that if Brit agree, we should informally but at about same time in both Bonn and Paris encourage Germans and French to resume Saar negotiations, this time with as little fanfare as possible. As was case during abortive negotiations year ago, would propose that we and British avoid becoming involved re substance, confining our efforts to urging both sides forward and to show willingness to compromise, and saving whatever influence we may be able exert re substance until negotiations reach critical, i.e. decisive, stages.⁴

Dulles

1. Drafted by Morris and cleared by Knight. Repeated to Paris, Bonn, and Strasbourg.
2. For documentation on the Federal elections of Sept. 6, see Documents 217 ff.
3. For documentation on the exchange of notes with the Soviet Union in the summer and fall of 1953 concerning a four-power meeting, see Documents 257 ff.
4. On Sept. 10 the Embassy in London reported that the preliminary Foreign Office view was opposed to any initiative since the French and Germans were showing every sign of getting together on the Saar by themselves. However, if these indications were not borne out by early action, then the Foreign Office agreed that a joint initiative should be made. (Telegram 1035 from London, 762.022/9–1053)