Editorial Note
On May 22, 1954, Chancellor Adenauer and French Deputy Prime Minister Pierre Teitgen initialed an agreement on the Saar issue at Strasbourg. Subsequently, “the French immediately attempted to obtain modifications of the agreement. The US and UK embassies in Paris, on an informal basis, advised the French Foreign Office that we thought the Teitgen–Adenauer agreement was the best they could get and we thought they should approve it as quickly as possible. Under Secretary Smith transmitted similar views to Foreign Minister Bidault at Geneva. On June 4, Maurice Schumann asked the US and UK Ambassadors for official confirmation that US and UK guarantees to support the Saar settlement at the peace treaty were forthcoming. He said this was the most important part of any Saar settlement as far as the French Parliament was concerned. Ambassadors Dillon and Bruce recommended that we orally inform the French and Germans of the statement we were prepared to make. On June 8, after receiving [Page 968] Departmental approval, Ambassador Dillon informed Maurice Schumann that if the French and Germans reached Saar agreement in their negotiations based on Van Naters plan US and UK were prepared to support that agreement in the peace treaty provided EDC had come into being.” (Memorandum by Lyon to Merchant, November 19, 1954, 762.022/11–1954) Ambassador Dillon’s account of his meeting with Maurice Schumann on June 8 in which United States assurances in reference to the Saar were conveyed is printed in telegram 4764 from Paris, June 9, infra. Further documentation on the Saar is presented in volume VII.