Germany.  But  any  public  statement  if  made  should  not  enter  into  any  detailed
discussion  of  differences  between  the  Germans  and  ourselves,  which  would  only
play  into  the  hands  of  Soviet  propaganda.  Meanwhile  the  News  Department  are
taking  this  general  line  in  their  guidance  to  the  Press.
Wether  or  not  any  public  statement  is  made,  it  seems  desirable  that  the  United
Kingdom  High  Commissioner  should  discuss  the  question  frankly  and  privately
with  Dr.  Adenauer  after  General  Robertson’s  return  on  Tuesday  from  his  visit  to
Berlin1''  and  before  the  debate  in  the  German  Parliament  begins  on  Thursday15 16.
Here  again  it  would  seem  best  that  General  Robertson  should  not  get  involved  in
any  detailed  discussion  of  the  actual  terms  of  the  Franco-Saar  agreements.  The
Germans  would  like  to  get  the  Saar  treated  as  a  matter  for  discussion  on  a  quadripartite
  basis  between  the  three  Western  Allies  and  themselves.  It  seems  desirable
that  we  should  as  far  as  possible  resist  this  claim  and  take  our  stand  on  the  ground
that  the  French  have  every  right  to  conclude  such  agreements  with  the  Saar
Government  and  that  they  are  not  an  appropriate  subject  for  such  quadripartite
discussion.
The  main  issue  of  course  is  whether  or  not  these  Saar  conventions  are  to  prevent
Germany’s  entry  into  the  Council  of  Europe.  Here  again  it  is  most  important  that
we  should  not  allow  the  Germans  to  get  away  with  the  impression,  which  is  already
being  reflected  in  their  Press  comment,  that  we  are  begging  them  to  come  in  and
that  they  would  be  doing  the  Western  European  countries  a  great  favour  by  doing
so.
A  draft  telegram  to  Wahnerheide  is  submitted.
{S  w  I  Kirkpatrick}  {D.  Allen}

15  Zu  den  Kontakten  im  besagten  Zeitraum  vgl.  die  Schreiben  Adenauers  an  Robertson  vom  6.3.
und  9.3.1950  in:  MENSING,  Adenauer.  Briefe  1949-1951,  S.  175-177,  sowie  Anm.  S.  487  f.  Im
Anschluss  an  ein  Treffen  am  8.3.1950  ließ  Robertson  Adenauer  eine  Rede  von  Lord  Henderson
im  Oberhaus  übermitteln:  die  Abkommen  hätten  nur  einen  vorläufigen  Charakter  und  der
endgültige  Status  des  Saarlandes  könne  nur  durch  den  Friedensvertrag  bestimmt  werden.  Vgl.
auch  Adenauer,  Erinnerungen,  Bd.  1:  1945-1953,  S.  309.
16  Zur  Diskussion  über  die  Saarverträge  im  Deutschen  Bundestag  am  10.  März  1950  vgl.
Stenographische  Berichte,  Wahlperiode  1,  S.  1555-1588;  Adenauers  Stellungnahme  S.  1555-1560.


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