Memorandum of Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson, Ambassador of France Henri Bonnet, Henry Byroade, and Lucius Battle

004975 SECRET U - Me Webt DEPARTMENT OF STATE Memorandum of Conversation 284 257 DATE: October 17, 1949 SUBJECT: Visit of French Ambassador re Political Status of Berlin. PARTICIPANTS: The Secretary of State cords and RECORDS "MATIONAL ARCHIVES AND M. Henri Bonnet, French Ambassador SERVICE** Col. Henry A. Byroade - GA Mr. Lucius Battle - S COPIES TO: S U EUR 1 -1493 Ambassador Bonnet called at my office on Monday, October 17, 3:00 p.m. to deliver an Aide-Menoire on the political status of Berlin. I opened the conversation by asking M. Bonnet if there were any recent developments in the formation of the French Government. He stated that he had learned by ticker report that Jules Moch had failed in his efforts to form a government. He stated that he did not know the exact situation at this time, but he believed there was a chance that Mr. Schuman would be asked to form a government in which he would serve in a dual role as Prime Minister and Foreign Minister combined. I asked M. Bonnet if he considered there was any chance that Parliament would be dissolved over this issue. He indicated that he considered this a very remote possibility and onel. which would certainly not happen unless two or three attempts to form a cabinet had failed. M. Bonnet then presented his Aide-Memoire on the Berlin situation. He reported in considerable detail the results of a meeting of Mr. Adenauer with the High Commission on Saturday. According to his information, Adenauer was quite opposed to any move to connect the Western sectors of Berlin politically with the West German Government at this time, and that it appeared that the French and Germans now were in complete agreement with each other on this issue. The French had arrived therefore at the program contained in his Aide-Menoire which they believe presents an adequate solution to the problem. M. Bonnet briefly described this DECLASSIFIED program E. O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and S(D) or (E) Dept. of State letter, 7.77.75 RECRET By NLT- HL NARS Date 1506 4-28-76 11000