700.00(S)/4–2450: Circular telegram
The Secretary of State to Certain Diplomatic Offices 1
Infotel. Regardless reasons behind recent views Adenauer Schumacher2 on why Germany delaying acceptance bid for Council Europe, we have advised McCloy we consider it important to disabuse Ger leaders of notion use of East-West situation to wring concessions from West can be productive or helpful. While we agree Gers may have certain legitimate causes for complaint of late and feel it important steps be taken to effect closer Ger integration with West, we think it equally important they have no delusions about ultimate result of using bargaining tactics. We point out to McCloy such tactics can have only one result, namely to undermine whatever confidence may have developed other Western countries regarding Ger people Govt and create climate hardly conducive to granting broader powers to Gers near future. We explain to McCloy we feel reported tendency Adenauer and chiefly Schumacher to refrain from taking sides between East West seems sufficiently significant to warrant careful analysis our part. We add while may be based partly on disillusionment over whatever place Germany will be given Western planning, it also represents lack of Ger understanding of foreign affairs. We ask for McCloy’s considered analysis of Schumacher’s reported shift to policy Ger neutrality.