762.022/10–653: Telegram
No. 650
The United States High Commissioner for
Germany (Conant)
to the Department of State1
priority
1321. As result of very brief talk with Chancellor yesterday and long conversation with Hallstein this morning it is clear to me that Chancellor will not be in position to discuss important issues before next week. Hallstein was quite frank in saying Chancellor was finding much greater difficulty in putting his Cabinet together than was expected and was much annoyed over political problems presented, which Hallstein said were far greater than before when he had only a narrow margin in Bundestag.
Chancellor will probably not be elected before Friday and seems unwilling to discuss any aspects of Saar problem with Bruce and myself even on informal basis before next week. I pointed out to Hallstein most urgently our worries at delay in Chancellor’s meeting with Bidault, as scheduled for early November at Hague. Hallstein was sceptical over ability to make this much sooner in view of delays in forming Cabinet and Chancellor’s belief he must consult Cabinet even more fully on such matters than has been his custom in past. Nevertheless, if Chancellor will see Bruce and myself next week we will propose to do all we can to urge earlier meeting with Bidault.
Next few days, in which there is theoretically no Chancellor, is a peculiarly inappropriate time to raise any issues with German Government. In my conversation with Hallstein I painted in dark colors consequences of failure to get French ratification before January 1 and difficulties of French taking action after December 1 for reasons described in recent cables from Paris. Believe I worried Hallstein and trust he will transmit some of these worries to Chancellor even at this period when he is so concerned with internal affairs.
- Repeated to Paris, London, and Berlin.↩