David Bruce's public career spanned a considerable number of years, he was the chief representative in Great Britain for American Red Cross in 1940, then worked with the OSS from 1941-1945, was appointed assistant Secretary of Commerce, 1947-1948, became the first head of the Marshall Plan Mission in Paris, established by the ECA in 1948 and then in May 1949 he was appointed American Ambassador to France, a position he held till March 1952. While in Paris he was ably assisted by William Tomlinson (Tommy), Treasury representative and the financial attaché at the US Embassy. Both men Bruce and Tomlinson became friends, confidantes and collaborators with Jean Monnet in his efforts to stabilise the French economy and later in his endeavors for unity in Europe, there existed a kind of triangular alliance between the men in their efforts for France and Europe. Bruce, a Francophile had acquired the respect and admiration of the French politicians while head of the Marshall Plan Mission and was therefore the ideal choice of Ambassador because of his influence and indepth knowldge of the French situation. On his appointment as Ambassador, Bruce named Tomlinson as his deputy. Tomlinson had become an expert on European affairs as John Snyder and Paul Hoffmann, ECA administrators had agreed to allow Tomlinson to concentrate on European not just French affairs. Bruce also served as Dean Acheson's main American source on Europe, and it was Bruce who convinced Acheson that the Schuman Plan, to pool coal and steel resources in Europe was not "the worst cartel ever" despite Acheson's earlier reservations. Monnet's confidence in Bruce was apparent as Bruce was told about the coal and steel proposal before any other American Government official including Acheson. Bruce strongly endorsed the proposal and lobbied for a positive US reaction to the Plan, and in fact shortly after the announcement of the Schuman Plan, President Truman hailed the Plan as a token of French leadership in finding solutions to the problems in Europe as a whole. Bruce was also effective in getting John McCloy's, US High Commissioner for Germany, support for the Schuman proposal and German rearmament. McCloy arranged for his own office of Legal Counsel headed by Robert Bowie to co-operate closely with Bruce's staff at the Paris Embassy and with Monnet's staff which includedPierre Uri and Etienne Hirsch. Bruce also initiated a working group, headed by Tomlinson to serve as the liaison between Monnet and

The originals are held in various Archives and Presidential Libraries in the USA