• • • Department of State TELEGRAM SEERCT 406 PAGE 01 PARIS 19803 221921Z 49 ACTION EUR 20 GPM 041H 021INR 071L 031NSAE 00,NSC l01P 041RSC 011SP 021SS 251 E 151SAH 021SAL 011SA 011NIC 011ACDA J61SCI 051R SR 01,/1~3 W 0 221850Z AUG 68 FM AMEMBASSY PARIS TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5373 6 E e ~ ! T PARIS 19803 SUBJECTa CZECHOSLOVAKIAs CALL ON PUAUX DEPARTMENT REPEAT AS DESIRED l• POLITICAL COUNSELOR CALLED ON PUAUX1 ACTING POLITICAL DIRECTOR AT QuAI IN BEAUMARCHAIS• ABSENCE1 TO DISCUSS CZECH SITUATION• PUAUX HAD LITTLE NEW TO ADD TO OUR INFORMATION ON SITUATION INSIDE CZECHOSLOVAKIA, EXCEPT TO STATE HIS PUZZLEMENT AT WHAT APPEARED TO BE ' HALF-MEASURES BEING TAKEN BY SOVIETS. FOR EXAMPLE1 HE SAID (000 OF THE ti00 DELEGATES To PARTY CONGRESS WERE REPORTEDLY MEETING WITHOUT SOVIETS STOPPING THEMs RADIO STATIONS WERE STILL OPERATiNG IN PLACESs COMMUNICATIONS WliH OUTSIDE NOT TOTALLY cur. HE WAS SIMPLY CURIOUS WHY SOVIETS HAD APPARENTLV NOT GONE ALL THE WAY IN CLAMPING DOWNo SPECULATING ON POSSIRLE EXITS FROM SITUATION, PUAUX SAID HE WONDERED IF SOVIETS MIGHT NOT ATTEMPT TO DO SOMETHING USING PRESIDENT SVOBODA AS KEY MANI HOWEVER, HE HAD NO HARD INFORMATION• 2. PUAUX MENTIONED THAT WEST WAS IN WEAK POSITION TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT R[ :~LIATORY MEASURES AGAINST USSR, WHICH GAVE OPENING TO ASK IF FRENCH HAD ANY SPECIFIC BILATERAL STEPS IN MIND• (QUESTION WAS OF COURSE BASED ON DEBRE'S COMMENTS TO AMBASSADOR AUG 211 BUT NO REFERENCE WAS MADE TO DEBRE•S STATEMENTo) PUAUX SAID QUAI WAS IN POSITION OF HAVING TO FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT STEPS WERE IN WORKS WITH USSR AND OTHER EE COUNTRIES, AND HAD ASKED ALLPARTS OF FRENCH GOVERNMENT TO ' REPORT ON CURRENT ' BILATERAL PLANS IN PROGRESS• THESE LISTS WERE BEING MADE UP NOW1 AND DECLASSIFIED E.O. 13292, Sec. 3.4 SECRE'J: .~~!fl~e ~~pt. Guidelines BY.~.!.£L1t'NARA1 Date~lt ·