Memorandum, State Department Summary of Telegrams

MLTC Naval Aidc) 275 of OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE WASHINGTON DECLASSIFIED November 1, 1951 E.O. 12065, Sec. 3-402 State Dept. Guidelines, March 6, 1982 TOP SECREI By D&B NLT, Date 9-5-80 SUMMARY OF TELEGRAMS EUROPEAN DEFENSE Dutch Ambassador van Roijen called on the FORCE Department Tuesday to discuss French Foreign Minister Schuman's remarks to the Foreign Press Association last week about European federation. Van Roijen said that Schuman's project for the immediate creation of a European political federa - tion was going too far too fast and that it gave his government some cause to review the whole idea of a European Defense Force. He said that his govern- ment had already come a long way in resolving its original misgivings about the European Defense Force down to two points: namely, the common defense budget and the question of a single high commissioner fordefense, neither of which his government could accept. The Department spokesman was able to assuage van Roijen somewhat by reading extracts from a telegram from our Paris Embassy which pointed out that neither Pleven's nor Schuman's recent speeches should be considered as constituting a new French diplomatic initiative. Nevertheless the Department believes from the general tenor of van Roijen's remarks that the Dutch may be looking for some excuse to back out of the European Defense Force, pulling their Benelux partners with them, unless their views in opposition to the common budget and the high commis - sioner can be met. ITALY In the Secretary's absence the Under Secretary has sent a brief reply to Prime Minister de Gasperi concerning the latter's personal message on Italian membership in the United Nations. Although assuring the Italians that we are continuing to explore "every possible course of action" to obtain their admission to the UN, our reply in effect turns down the Italian suggestion for circumventing the legally prescribed procedures for admission and states that in pressing for Italy's admission we will act 'within the Charter". To do otherwise, the note continues, might jeopardize the basic principles in support of which Italy wishes to make its full contribution as a member of the UN. SOUTHEAST ASIA The French Foreign Office showed Embassy Paris yesterday an aide-memoire from the British Embassy recommending a meeting of the US-UK-French Chiefs of Staff during the North Atlantic Council meeting in Rome to consider the recom- - mendations of the Singapore Conference and to formulate policy and recom- mendations to the respective governments. The aide-memoire pointed out TOP SECREF