740.5/8–2054
The Secretary of State to Prime Minister Churchill 1
My Dear Sir Winston: 1. Thanks for your message of August 19.2 I certainly agree with you that we are under heavy obligation to Adenauer. It would be an incalculable disaster if there was a failure of his pro-Western policy to ally Germany with the West and to prevent the revival of German militarism.
2. I shall be greatly interested in knowing the outcome of your talks with Mendes-France.3 From here it seems that Mendes-France seems to think that only he has parliamentary difficulties and that all of our other parliaments will happily dance to the tune which his Parliament sets.
3. So far as the U.S. Congress is concerned, it is pretty well convinced that EDC is a test of the reliability of France and if by this test France seems dedicated to indecision and unreliability then that fact undermines the whole NATO concept because French soil is essential to an effective continental defense system.
4. I cannot, therefore, be optimistic about a NATO substitute although we shall of course try to limit the scope of the disaster which will be caused if the French Government again proves undependable.
5. However, as I suggested in my reply to your earlier message, even if a NATO solution is acceptable in principle, I foresee a repetition of [Page 1052] past indecision and procrastination in relation to the question of whether Germany will become a member on a discriminatory basis—which I doubt—or whether France will admit Germany on a basis of full equality—which I equally doubt—I imagine that even you might find it a bit difficult to get your Parliament to accept the latter view and I think that Adenauer will now find it impossible to get his Parliament to accept discrimination.
6. I am of course keeping the President fully informed of our correspondence as “Foreign Ministers”.
With highest regard,
- The source text was transmitted in telegram 1030 to London for delivery to Churchill. Telegram 1030 also contained texts of messages from Churchill to Dulles, Aug. 14 and 19, supra, respectively. This telegram was repeated to Bonn and Paris. Dulles had cleared this message with the President (Dulles to the President, Aug. 20, with enclosures, 740.5/8–2054).↩
- Supra.↩
- In telegram 1037 to London, Aug. 21, Dulles stated: “In view uncertainty line Churchill may take with Mendes-France at Chequers meeting and importance US avoid appearance immediately entering tripartite conference with France on Brussels results, I feel strongly that you should use any plausible excuse to avoid presence yourself or any other American official at such meeting if as indicated invitation is offered you” (740.5/8–2154).↩