December 23, 1952 (Dec. 22)
In talking with Mr. McCloy about another matter over the telephone yesterday, I told him a little of my impressions gained on the recent trip to Paris. I said that I had talked with Monnet, who has been very close to the Chancellor since McCloy left. Monnet also has had many talks with the Socialists and particularly with the Liberal leaders. He thinks there is quite a split between the political SPD and the liberal unions. He believes there is a great feeling for unity in Western Europe. The coal and steel plan is working "wonderfully". The Authority is going to declare the broad market; purchases of iron ore will be open to the Belgians. The EDC countries will take EDC if it is put up strongly to them in the unification background and not in military terms. The SPD is against all armament. Monnet also has sensible ideas about getting on with political matters, such as an elected Parliament with powers restricted to administrative matters connected with EDC and the coal and steel plan, but it should not try to assume broad new power at the beginning. Eventually they should have limited power of taxation.
I then said to Mr. McCloy that from all that Mr. Monnet had said I thought it was very important to get the right person as High Commissioner for Germany; that I was going to talk with Mr. Dulles about this; and that I was disturbed because I had heard that a certain person, whom I understood Mr. McCloy was in favor of, was being considered. I thought he would not be a suitable person from the point of view of the Chancellor, of Mr. Monnet, and of the French.
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Mr. McCloy said he agreed completely with me in this estimate; that he had strongly argued against him to Mr. Dulles; and that it was quite wrong that he had expressed himself as in favor of the particular person. Mr. McCloy thought the pressure for him had come from the State Department. I said that, with one possible exception, this was not so. The general consensus was against the appointment.
Mr. McCloy said that he had one name which had been up before at a time when this particular candidate could not get free for six months. He thought he would now be available on a few weeks notice. The Secretary thought he would be a good possibility unless he had strong ideas against re-armament of Germany. Mr. McCloy said he did not think this was the case, but he could explore that. Mr. McCloy said he had some other ideas which he did not want to mention over the telephone.