Telegram from Secretary of State Dean Acheson to President Harry S. Truman

COPY 1 OF 2 WH 38 U. S. S. WILLIAMSBURG U. S. Naval Gun Factory 11/27/51 SECRET WASHINGTON 25, D.C. 27205ØZ F.R.OF us 1951 VOL III DECLASSIFIED FROM: ROME Authority HLT PAGE 1609 TO : SECRETARY OF STATE NBR : ACTEL 2Ø, NOVEMBER 23, 7 P.M. By HL NLT Date 3-12-14 FOR THE PRESIDENT AND ACTING SECRETARY FROM ACHESON. IN MY TALKS HERE THIS WEEK WITH EDEN AND SCHUMAN, AND FINALLY WITH ADENAUER, I THINK WE HAVE SUCCEEDED IN MOVING SOME OF OUR GERMAN PROBLEMS FORWARD. NO SPECTACULAR DECISIONS WERE MADE BUT AS YOU KNOW NONE WERE EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. WE WERE ABLE TO RESOLVE ALL THE REMAINING QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE AGREEMENT ON GENERAL RELATIONS WITH THE GERMANS so THAT THIS DOCUMENT IS NOW AGREED WITH ADENAUER AND IS READY FOR SIGNATURE WHENEVER THE RELATED AGREEMENTS ABOUT TROOPS AND OTHER MATTERS ARE READY, AND WHEN THE AGREEMENTS FOR A GERMAN DEFENSE CONTRIBUTION ARE CONCLUDED. WE HAVE THEREFORE BEEN ABLE TO ISSUE A COMMUNIQUE JOINTLY WITH ADENAUER WHICH WILL MAKE HIS TRIP SEEM A SUCCESS AND WILL THUS STRENGTHEN HIS HAND IN HIS EFFORTS TO TIE THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC INTO THE WEST. MUCH LESS PROGRESS WAS MADE ON THE THORNY PROBLEM OF SECURITY SAFEGUARDS ON GERMANY, BUT WE WERE AT LEAST ABLE TO OUTLINE THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THIS PROBLEM TO ADENAUER AND THERE IS AT LEAST A HOPE THAT HE MAY BE STIMULATED TO MAKE A VOLUNTARY OFFER ON GERMANY'S PART TO REFRAIN FROM THE PRODUCTION OF CERTAIN IMPORTANT MILITARY ITEMS. WE EXPECT TO DISCUSS THIS PROBLEM FURTHER AMONG THE THREE OF US AT ROME AFTER THE FRENCH CABINET HAS CONSIDERED IT AGAIN AND AFTER THE CHANCELLOR HAS GIVEN HIS to VIEWS TO THE HIGH COMMISSIONERS. IT HAS PROVEN IMPOSSIBLE THUS FAR TO GET BEYOND THE BAREST FUNDAMENTALS OF THE QUESTION OF THE GERMAN FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION FOR DEFENSE. THE BRITISH AND FRENCH HAVE AGREED, HOWEVER, TO AN IMMEDIATE EXPLORATION OF THE PROBLEM BY THE ALLIED HIGH COMMISSION WITH THE GERMANS ON THE BASIS OF A GERMAN DEFENSE BUDGET FOR THEIR NEXT FISCAL YEAR (BEGINNING APRIL 1) OF APPROXIMATELY 13 BILLION MARKS, TO BE USED BOTH FOR THE COST OF ALLIED TROOPS IN GERMANY AND THE GERMAN SHARE IN THE COST OF THE EUROPEAN DEFENSE COMMUNITY. THIS IS OF COURSE MERELY A NEGOTIAT- ING FIGURE. THIS ENTIRE PROBLEM WILL LIKEWISE BE THE SUBJECT OF FURTHER TALKS IN ROME. PARAPHRASE NOT REQUIRED. CONSULT CRYPTOCENTER BEFORE DECLASSIFYING. This message requires stowage in accordance with Article 0616 of USN Security Manual for classified matter (Opinst 511.1) SECRET SECURITY INFORMATION