Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1945, European Advisory Commission, Austria, Germany, Volume III

740.00119 Control (Germany)/12–1145: Telegram

The Ambassador in France (Caffery) to the Secretary of State

Paris, December 11, 1945—6 p.m.
[Received 8:10 p.m.]

7115. There is increasing concern in all French circles over the tension which has arisen between France and the United States concerning the question of centralized administrations in Germany. Upon the conclusion of Couve de Murville’s visit to Washington the French press led the public to believe that the United States had not adopted a definite position of opposition to the French views on the separation of the Ruhr and the Rhineland from the rest of Germany if a workable arrangement could be found, and that we would be willing to sit down at a four power conference to examine the French proposal prior to dealing with the central administration question. In the light [of the?] recent press presentation, however, the French now believe that the United States is taking the lead in trying to persuade a reluctant Britain and a reluctant Russia to set up central administrative organizations immediately in the three zones, thus excluding France.

This belief has, of course, been greatly encouraged by statements attributed to various British officials published in the French press to the effect that the British are anxious to adopt no policy or program in Germany which does not have French approval. Furthermore concerning the forthcoming Big Three meeting in Moscow⁸² the French press has given wide publicity to statements by British officials that “the Big Three meeting was a result of Washington’s initiative and that Britain will see to it that no matters are discussed at Moscow which affect French interests”. The implication that Bevin will pose in Moscow as the defender of French interests, has thus been pointedly made.⁸³

The Soviet views on the French proposals on the Ruhr and Rhineland, as indicated by the French Communist organ Humanité, have for the past several weeks been reserved but not hostile although the French policy in blocking central administrations in Germany has been mildly criticized as contrary to the Potsdam Agreement. In the past several days there have been significant phrases in several articles hinting that Moscow does not oppose the principle of internationalization of the Ruhr. (The Rhineland is not mentioned.) This morning, however, the Soviet stand is considerably clarified by the following front page headline in Humamté: “In Germany Joukov⁸⁴ is against the establishment of a central administration without France”. The article then quotes Associated Press despatch stating: “Joukov has informed General Clay at Berlin that he cannot accept the United States proposal announced recently by Mr. Byrnes to establish in Germany a central Tripartite Govt excluding France. Marshal Joukov stated that the Committee did not have the authority to take such a decision. Montgomery for England adopted the same position.” (Also Humanité’s leading editorial this morning on the coming Big Three meeting at Moscow devotes great space to proving that the Big Three and particularly Russia have always in past meetings tried to improve France’s international position. The Joukov statement above is cited as evidence that Russia has no intention of isolating France.)

Thus by the presentation of the alleged Russian and British views on the German question, the French are being led increasingly to believe that while Great Britain and Soviet Russia are sympathetic to the French views on Germany, the United States alone is strongly opposed to them and is doing everything it can to make Britain and Russia oppose France.

Sent Dept 7115; repeated Moscow 434.

Caffery

82. Reference is to the interim meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers at Moscow, December 16–26, 1945; for documentation, see vol. ii, pp. 560 ff.
83. In a memorandum of conversation of December 11, Mr. James W. Riddleberger reported that Mr. Berard, Counselor of the French Embassy, told him that “The French Government now thought that Mr. Bevin, the British Foreign Secretary, was more and more inclined to favor the French proposals. Berard thought that in the British Foreign Office there still remained a faction which would oppose the French proposals on the old and historic British principle of supporting the weak and opposing the strong on the Continent. He thought, however, Bevin was now inclined to go along with the French ideas.” Mr. Riddleberger observed in his memorandum: “I listened to all this without comment.” The purpose of Mr. Beard’s visit had been to leave with the Department a summary of French press reaction to the Secretary’s recent statement on central German agencies and French opposition thereto. (740.00119 EW/12–1145)
84. Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov, Commander in Chief, Soviet Forces in Germany, and Chief of the Soviet Military Administration in Germany.