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BECKET
3 2967, November 17, 8 p.m. from Paris.
not (rpt not) be attributed to slackness on the part of
the French) French had been "burned" on their expecta-
tions of aid from US during the first half of the present
US fiscal year. The aumosphere of uncertainty in regard to
US assistance in which France had been operating had
destroyed any chance of rational planning.
Monnet expanded on this last point emphasizing that unless
the US cld say definitely and immediately what over-all sum
in dollars wld be apent in France in the first 6 months of
1952 there wld be a serious disintegration of the French
NATO program and this wld have an inevitable effect on the
French def production program. He thought this wld be a
great pity since he felt certain the dollars were eventually
going to be spent and he felt sure that if some advance
knowledge old be given, France old plan wisely and cld make
a real def contribution in 1952. But, he concluded, while
the technicians argued, dissolution was taking place.
Both Bidault and Mayer stressed the importance of getting
ahead with a program of off-shore procurement. Both felt,
however, that actual expenditures for off-shore procurement
wld not (rpt not) develop rapidly enough to be of much
assistance in the first half of 1952, and Mayer inquired
whether it might not (rpt not) be possible to use some method
of pre-financing such as advance purchases of franes. Mayer
added that without an amount of American assistance greatly
in excess of what has heretofore been indicated, it wld not
(rpt not) be possible for France to carry on at the same time
the three principal tasks of Indochina, NATO, and postwar
reconstruction. He said that he was contemplating asking
Parliament for additional taxes that wld make France the
highest taxed country in NATO, and that he wld have to adjust
the import program to whatever level of revenue he was able
to attain. Mayer expressed an interest in the composition
of the figure of 600 millions (exclusive of the 50 million
cotton loan) of expenditure referred to at the outset of the
discussion.
ARCHIVES RECORD% AND
In reply I stated that I was not (rpt not) prepared at this
a
SERVICE"
the
time to indicate any specific break-down of the figure which
I had advanced, stating that the development of the figure
was a matter resting with Messrs. Lovett and
Harriman. I added, however, that I felt the US old give
assurance that the 600 millions of expenditures wld be achieved
through one means or another provided that together we were
able to make the maximum advantage of the limited time avail-
able for the development of the requisite bases and other
facilities.
MESSAGE UNSIGNED
EOC:WJS
NOTE: (#) Apparent omission, correction to follow.
SECRET
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"ocrText": "BECKET\n3 2967, November 17, 8 p.m. from Paris.\nnot (rpt not) be attributed to slackness on the part of\nthe French) French had been \"burned\" on their expecta-\ntions of aid from US during the first half of the present\nUS fiscal year. The aumosphere of uncertainty in regard to\nUS assistance in which France had been operating had\ndestroyed any chance of rational planning.\nMonnet expanded on this last point emphasizing that unless\nthe US cld say definitely and immediately what over-all sum\nin dollars wld be apent in France in the first 6 months of\n1952 there wld be a serious disintegration of the French\nNATO program and this wld have an inevitable effect on the\nFrench def production program. He thought this wld be a\ngreat pity since he felt certain the dollars were eventually\ngoing to be spent and he felt sure that if some advance\nknowledge old be given, France old plan wisely and cld make\na real def contribution in 1952. But, he concluded, while\nthe technicians argued, dissolution was taking place.\nBoth Bidault and Mayer stressed the importance of getting\nahead with a program of off-shore procurement. Both felt,\nhowever, that actual expenditures for off-shore procurement\nwld not (rpt not) develop rapidly enough to be of much\nassistance in the first half of 1952, and Mayer inquired\nwhether it might not (rpt not) be possible to use some method\nof pre-financing such as advance purchases of franes. Mayer\nadded that without an amount of American assistance greatly\nin excess of what has heretofore been indicated, it wld not\n(rpt not) be possible for France to carry on at the same time\nthe three principal tasks of Indochina, NATO, and postwar\nreconstruction. He said that he was contemplating asking\nParliament for additional taxes that wld make France the\nhighest taxed country in NATO, and that he wld have to adjust\nthe import program to whatever level of revenue he was able\nto attain. Mayer expressed an interest in the composition\nof the figure of 600 millions (exclusive of the 50 million\ncotton loan) of expenditure referred to at the outset of the\ndiscussion.\nARCHIVES RECORD% AND\nIn reply I stated that I was not (rpt not) prepared at this\na\nSERVICE\"\nthe\ntime to indicate any specific break-down of the figure which\nI had advanced, stating that the development of the figure\nwas a matter resting with Messrs. Lovett and\nHarriman. I added, however, that I felt the US old give\nassurance that the 600 millions of expenditures wld be achieved\nthrough one means or another provided that together we were\nable to make the maximum advantage of the limited time avail-\nable for the development of the requisite bases and other\nfacilities.\nMESSAGE UNSIGNED\nEOC:WJS\nNOTE: (#) Apparent omission, correction to follow.\nSECRET"
}