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

740.00119 EW/5–2645: Telegram

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

Washington, May 29, 1945—7 p.m.

2393. For Pauley. Immediately after the Department had informed the French Embassy of present plans to begin reparation discussions on the tripartite basis agreed upon at Yalta (as reported in our 2341 of May 26 to Paris,²⁵ repeated 4205 to London and 1153 to Moscow), Ambassador Bonnet called on Mr. Grew and emphatically reaffirmed that exclusion of the French from initial participation in the Reparation Commission would arouse strong dissatisfaction on the part of his Government.

In the course of your conversations in Paris, the Department considers that it would be desirable (1) to emphasize to French officials that we have persistently urged French participation in the Reparation Commission, in exchanges with the Russians on this matter, (2) to suggest that the French Government should press their case directly with the Russians, and (3) The President has expressed concurrence with the view of the Department that you should propose early in your discussions at Moscow that France be invited to participate in the deliberations of the Reparation Commission.²⁶ The case for French participation is set forth in Department’s 856, April 13, and 1090, May 17 to Moscow (see also Dept. 816, April 7 to Moscow).

Grew

25. Not printed, but see footnote 23, p. 1231.
26. Acting Secretary of State Grew had discussed this matter with President Truman on May 26. The pertinent section of his memorandum of conversation reporting the talk reads as follows: “I asked the President if he had any objection to our instructing Mr. Pauley upon his arrival in Moscow to press further for the inclusion of France in the Reparations Commission. I pointed out that when we had previously brought up this matter the Soviet Government had taken the position that if France were to be invited we should also invite Poland and Yugoslavia. I further pointed out that France, having a zone in Europe and as a member of the Allied Commission, was in a different category from either Poland or Yugoslavia and that if we should open membership to those two countries there was just as much reason why Belgium and Holland should also be included. The President said he had no objection to sending the proposed instruction to Mr. Pauley but he doubted if it would meet with success as the Soviet Government would no doubt continue to press for the inclusion of Poland.” (611.0031/5–2645)