the French would be prepared to join in with the Anglo-American Economic Zonal
fusion. If we are to agree we should try and insist of this.
The economic union of the Saar with France would doubtless somewhat help M.
Bidault with the election, but the connection is 1 think incidental. The French have
been working up to this proposal for sometime and know one of the best tunes to
call as far as we are concerned is „the Election issue“ and Anglo-American
relations.
It would be of value to know how far, if at all, this proposal has been cleared with
the Russians, who are almost certain to disagree in public, but may well, in private,
have expressed somewhat different views. They are, however, certain to make the
maximum Anti-Western Allied propaganda out of such a move, if it is met and
agreed by us.
The effect of this on the German public and the elections in Berlin are likely to be
very considerable. It would be straight up the SED garden path.
M. Bidault’s fears that nothing would be settled at the forthcoming German talks
are probably, however, all too true.
{A. A. E. Franklin}
Nr. 12e: Schreiben des britischen Außenministers Ernest Bevin
an den französischen Ministerpräsidenten Georges Bidault, secret.
28.9.1946
Archives du Ministère des Affaires Étrangères, Europe (1944-1960), Sarre 17.
My dear President,
You mentioned to me on the 24th September a proposal that the French authorities
should take steps very soon to bring about a customs union between the Saar and
France. You said that you were anxious to do this before the meeting of the
Council of Foreign Ministers on Germany and that His Majesty’s Government
should not express disapproval of this action.
I said at the time that I thought that this was a very serious step and another
example of the policy of dealing with Germany piecemeal of which we were not in
favour. I have now given further thought to your proposal and I am sorry to say that
this has confirmed my earlier view that His Majesty’s Government would regard
such unilateral action as a mistake and would be unable to give their approval to its
being done in the manner proposed.
So far as His Majesty’s Government are concerned, the position is that at the
meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers on the 11th July. ! recalled His
Majesty’s Government’s previous assurances that they were ready, at the time
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