Memorandum of Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson, Ambassador of France Henri Bonnet, Henry Byroade, and George W. Perkins

9 5/5 DEPARTMENT OF STATE Memorandum of Conversation SECRET the DATEDecember 1, 1949 the ARCHIVES 'NATIONAL SERVICE" RECORDS AND SUBJECT: 306 PARTICIPANTS: Secretary of State Acheson; Mr. Henri Bonnet, French Ambassador; Mr. Henry A. Byroade, Director, German Affairs, Department of State; and Mr. George W. Perkins, Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs. COPIES TO: s, U, G, GER, EUR, American Embassy, Paris. 1-1493 Monsieur Bonnet stated that he wished to discuss the continuing rumors concerning the rearmament of Germany. I told him that I did not know where these rumors came from and that we had been consistently denying them. Monsieur Bonnet then presented a copy of the statement concerning Germany made by Ur. Robert Schuman before the French National Assembly which referred particularly to rearnament. After reading the state- ment, I told him that I agreed with it. Monsieur Bonnet then went on to say that the persistent rumors of rearmament of Germany were upsetting public opinion in Europe and particularly in France, and that this was interfering with the main task before all of us which was the integration of Germany into the European scene. The rearmament of Germany was not a part of this integration and the talk was disturbing and upsetting. I told him that we would continue to do everything we could to stop the rumors. DECLASSIFIED E. O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and S(D) or (E) Monsieur Bonnet Dept. of State letter, 13-23-75 By NLT- HL NARS Date 4-20-66 SECRET SEADET