840.50/12–2144: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 22—12:23 a.m.]
11343. Department’s 10129, December 2. We have given further thought to the question what is the best procedure for hastening the establishment of machinery for the purposes for which the organization of a European Economic Committee has been proposed. We now consider that the first approach should be on similar lines to those we have recommended in connection with the proposed European Coal Organization (see Embassy’s 11323, December 20). Under this procedure efforts would be made to arrange a meeting of representatives of United States, United Kingdom, USSR and France at a suitable date in January with terms of reference on the following lines:
- (1)
- To consider what questions affecting inter-European economic relations are likely to arise in the transition period which could not be dealt with adequately through existing machinery.
- (2)
- To determine what form of additional machinery for joint consultation between Allied countries would be best adapted to meet the gaps in present machinery.
As soon as the representatives had reached agreement on these points steps should be taken to bring in representatives of other appropriate Allied countries with a view to extending the agreement and working out in final form the details of the organization to be set up.
The advantages of this procedure are stated in the last paragraph of Embassy’s 11323, December 20.