740.00119 Control (Germany)/12–545
Memorandum of Conversation, by James W. Riddleberger, Chief of the Division of Central European Affairs
Mr. Berard, Counselor of the French Embassy, came in this morning to discuss the next steps with respect to the French proposals for the Rhineland–Ruhr. He said that Mr. Alphand was now in Moscow to carry out the same mission which Mr. Couve de Murville had done in London and Washington. The French Embassy here had no information respecting the outcome of these discussions but would inform me when anything was received. It was anticipated that the conversations in Moscow would not take over a week.
Mr. Berard then said that the French Government was of the opinion that when the conversations in Moscow had been completed a four-power meeting should be held to discuss this question in the light of all the information and explanations that had now been provided The French Government did not envisage a meeting necessarily on [Page 916] the Foreign Minister level but would very much like to have it held in Paris. It hoped that the American Government would agree to this procedure and suggested that perhaps it would be possible to designate the respective Ambassadors in Paris as representatives to such a meeting. Experts on the various questions involved could no doubt be attached to the representatives in such manner as each government deemed appropriate.
Mr. Berard said that the French Government would like to have this meeting as soon as possible after the conclusion of the Moscow conversations and that General de Gaulle hoped the American Government would give its sympathetic and immediate consideration to this proposal.
I told Mr. Berard that I thought Mr. Couve de Murville had suggested approximately the same procedure to Mr. Dunn during the course of the conversations here. Mr. Dunn had been called away rather suddenly and we consequently had not as yet given consideration to the question of the possible meeting. I said that we were also awaiting the outcome of the French discussions in Moscow. Therefore, we had not as yet taken up the question of the meeting, but in view of the French suggestions that I would bring it to the attention of the Secretary at once. I told Mr. Berard that after discussions here we would communicate with him again.