Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, Western Europe and Canada, Volume XXVII

8. Telegram From the Embassy in France to the Department of State¹

Paris, June 1, 1955— 1 p.m.

5265. For Merchant from Dillon.

1. With reference to Todef 453, May 9,² Wendell Anderson, Defense representative NA and MA, has requested urgent political guidance from me regarding certain FY 1955 OSP contracts which US procurement services propose place in France at once.

2. Contracts which it is proposed to place in France at this time are (dollar values given are of course approximate and are subject to negotiating changes): 105mm shells—$21.8 million; propellant charges for 155mm howitzers and 8 inch guns—$14.0 million; 155mm howitzers—$5.0 million; 4 facilities assistance program projects—$7.5 million; total—$48.3 million.

3. I feel very strongly that we should proceed to place these contracts in France as promptly as possible and I therefore intend to advise Anderson tomorrow morning June 2 that my guidance to him from political point of view is that contracts indicated above should be placed in France as promptly as possible.³

Dillon

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751.5–MSP/6–155. Secret; Niact. Repeated to USRO.
2. Todef 453 from Robert B. Anderson to the U.S. Commander in Chief in Europe and Wendell Anderson, Defense Adviser to USRO, required that, for political reasons, all proposed contracts for OSP and Facilities Assistance in France be cleared by Wendell Anderson. (Ibid., 751.5–MSP/5–2355)
3. According to Repnamto 69 from Paris, June 3, the Department of State authorized proceeding with OSP, MDAP, and Facilities Assistance awards. (Ibid., 751.5–MSP/6–255)