i DECLASSIFIED I Authority 1 WDg fi M - i 0 THE FOREIGN SERVICE 1 OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ME WM American Embassy Paris 12 August 1967 ggy Dear Bob Mr Statesman nae prepared the enclosed report on the Franco-German agreement on advanced pons M which you requested in your letter of July 23 i As Bill Trueheart's memorandum to me also enclose suggests I asked John Emmerson head of the Political 35 Division whether their estimate of March 1 had been revised John was not aware of any developments that would lead to a different conclusion nought that Charlie Yost and Russ Fessenden should he asked for their views which I shall do when they get back to Paris reporting anything additional they may have to you and suggested that you get in touch with Bob McBride now in Washington With best wishes Sincerely m1 igg x gen max Isenbergh Special Assistant for Atomic Energy Encls Franco-German Coordination of Advanced Weapons Research Development and Production Franco-German Agreement of Go-Operation in the Field of Armaments Memorandum from Mr Trueheart Mr J Robert Schaetzel Office of the Special Assistant to the Secretary Department of State washington 25 D C SECRET 1- DECLASSIFIED - Authority - SECRET August 8 1957 TD Max Isenbergh Embassy SA SUBJ French-German Cooperation on Advanced Weapons Attached is a memorandum on this subject which you may wish to send to Bob Schaetzel or otherwise use in replying to his letter of July 23 I would suggest also that you check with the Political Section of the Embassy to see whether they still adhere to their estimate of March 1 that it was improbable that the French would contemplate assisting the Germans in the production of atomic weapons Most of the documents referred to in the attached memorandum are State Department communications The others are NATO papers copies of which Schaetzel can obtain through Signed 3111 William C Trueheart Enclosures Memorandum on Franco German Coordination of Advanced Weapons Research Development and Production dated August 8 1957 Letter from Schaetzel to Isenbergh dated July 23 1957- SECRET DECLASSIFIED consnn DE NORD 1 NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL FRAYCE ENGLISH EXEMFLAIRE no 124 e in ebruary _l95 NAEO SECRET comma no l DEFEJCE PRODUCTION new ON SO-OPERATION TEE FTELD 0F AREKEENTS Note by_the Secretary At the request of the French and German Delegations I am circulating herewith the text of an agreement reached in January 1957 between the Ministers of Defence of France and the Federal Republic of Germany on close co-Operation between their two countries in the field of armaments Signed J C STONE Palais de Chaillot Paris HATO SECRET NATO SECRET A 312mm FRANCE AI-ID as T3371 On 16th and 17th January 1957 during a tour of France and a visit to Colomb-Bechon the Defence Ministers of France and the German Federal Republic discussed how close co Operation between their two countries could be achieved with respect to armaments To bring this about they agreed to set up a small committee consisting of not more than fifteen officers and technicians to identify the fields in which co-Operation in the form of Joint research and experimental work could be con- sidered or undertaken to keep the NATO Defence Production Committee in formed of any Special arrangements entered into in this connection to invite all NATO member countries wishing to do so to associate themselves with these special arrangements NATO SECRET DECLASSIFIED i Authority 76 i SECRET August 8 1957 1 or ADVANCED WEAPOPS RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION The first report that we find regarding Franco-German cooperation in the field of military production and supply is in Bonn's 1784 to Washington concerning the Adenauer-Mollet meeting on November 6 1956 in Paris According to this report the French prOposed strengthening cooperation of military production and supply The Germans suggested in reply that measures for further collaboration in this field should be Jointly prepared and presented to other WEU members PoltoA-346 February 4 1957 forwarded to washington a cepy of the half yearly report June lS-Decemher 15 1956 on developments in WEU tending Armaments Committee The report placed particular stress on the fact that the Committee had given its activities new orientation in attempting to promote greater cooperation among the WEU countries in research and development projects In the initial stage these exchanges would take place by direct contact between countries having the interest and the scientific resources which would enable them to make an effective contribution Germany prOposed that the Committee should examine the conditions under which member countries of WEU might be able to put at the disposal of one another their own research and experimental establishments Reportedly the initial reaction of the other countries to this preposal was negative On January 15 13 1957 the German minister of Defense Straus accompanie by senior German staff officers visited French research and development installations in Western France and in North Africa According to the German General Heusinger the object of our trip was to visit research and develoPment facilities of the French with a view to working out possible Joint utilization of these facilities by the French and Germans and to determine mutual areas of interest in this general field MAAG Germany telegram 204 Jan 26 1957 The projects of particular interest to Germany reportedly were ground-to-air rockets and missiles a new type of tank and new anti tank weapons It was stated that NATO would be kept informed of the progress in this program An immediate result of this trip was a Franco-German agreement on close cooperation between their two countries in the field of armaments which the French and German Delegations reported to the Defense Production Committee on February 20 1957 The official record of this report is attached Ac 74-D 17oi London's 4372 to Washington February 19 1957 reported that the UK Foreign Office had inquired of the French concerning SECRET DECLASSIFIED i Authority SECRET -2- 70 l alleged Franco-German arms discussions The French Minister of Defense now Premier Bourg s-Maunoury stated that a small Franco German committee had been set up to consider projects for coordinated research development and production of such items as guided weapons and light tanks The UK Foreign Office official who gave our Embassy this information asked US Embassy officers for US views on such Franco-German collaboration He frankly exgressed some apprehension regarding future German activ ties in the production field Embassy Paris reported on February 20 a conversation with a French defense official on the subject of recent French initiatives toward Franco-German cooperation in military research and production particularly in missiles The French reportedly felt that best means for getting progress under way in this area is for pairs of individual countries each of which has something to offer the other to work out mutually beneficial exchanges of information and joint uses of facilities A further report from Embassy London London's 4494 to Washington February 26 1957 described the UK Foreign Office as troubled by three major aspects of this problem 1 Germany would probably play the most influential role as Franco German cooperation for new weapons continues The real danger for NATO would arise in another ten years when the Germans would have weapons resulting from Franco-German research and develOpment thus getting around the WEU prohibition to Germany of developing its own ABC weapons Thus the UK felt it would be advisable to have a more general WEU or NATO cooperation in the field of research development and production which would tie in both French and Germans with their other partners 2 However if the UK Joined in such a scheme problems would be immediately raised regarding the particularly close Anglo-American alliance since the US has well founded concerns about making available extremely sensitive information to other European allies on the same basis as to the UK 3 There is a good chance that Franco German action might galvanize the USSR to estimate that its security may be in danger when West Germany is being placed in a position to obtain nuclear weapons outside the more general EurOpean defense effort This is the first time in our records that we find a reference to the possibility of Franco German research and develop ment including nuclear projects Embassy Paris immediately picked up this point Paris telegram 4452 to Washington March 1 and SECRET DECLASSIFIED a Authority i '701 sngasr stated that it seemed unjustifiable to link Franco German weapons development with the Fourth Country nuclear weapons problem The Embassy flatly stated that they had no indications that the French had or would contemplate assisting the Germans to produce atomic Weapons The Embassy called for US support of the Franco-German weapons production program as having military economic and political advantages However it is pertinent to note that on the same day Embassy Paris reported Paris telegram 4458 to Department March 1 that the French Defense Minister had said there is no bar to restri ed items being manufactured in France under Franco- erman a piece tested Jointly in Algeria and stocked in both France Germany He did add that atomic materials were outside the scOpe of the Franco-German develoPment program 1 One week later Polto of March 8 reported that the UK had undertaken bilateral conversations with the French and the Germans reapectively to explore in detail the possibilities for cooperation Although the UK h0ped that these bilateral exchanges would eventually develop into a trilateral FrencheUKe German arrangement thus far only bilateral cooperation has been achieved See of July 27 1957 for a report of activities of the Anglo-German Joint Steering Committee on defense research and development CONCLUSIONS 1 There is a Franco German agreement for Joint research and perhaps production of advanced weapons 2 The French Defense Ministry has stated Feb 26 1957 that atomic materials were outside the scope of the France- German development program 3 US policy as we understand it holds that a we should not cppose Franco-German collaboration in the new weapons field b exchange of atomic data among WEU countries would obviously resent serious problems TOpol 1961 4 1g 57 4 Important prohibitions on German production of certain weapons are defined in the Paris agreements but it might be possible for the Germans to evade these restrictions with the connivance of the French However Embassy Paris has indicated Embtel 4462 March 1 1957 that it sees little likelihood of such a develOpment SECRET                     National Security Archive    Suite 701  Gelman Library  The George Washington University    2130 H Street  NW  Washington  D C  20037    Phone  202 994‐7000  Fax  202 994‐7005  nsarchiv@gwu edu