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

740.00119 EW/5–3145: Telegram

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

Washington, May 31, 1945—6 p.m.

2435. A British Aide-Mémoire was presented to the Department on May 28,²⁷ setting forth the British Government’s views on the reparation talks. The Aide-Mémoire mentions their previous understanding that the U.S. delegation would not proceed to Moscow until the question regarding the countries to be represented on the Commission had been satisfactorily settled with the Soviet Government. After stating the case for French participation and calling attention to Russian eagerness to make progress with reparation talks while showing uncooperativeness on many other questions, the British Aide-Mémoire asks whether we would agree to hold up the arrival of our representatives in Moscow until further pressure had been brought to bear on Soviet Government concerning French representation.

In reply, we stated verbally that the Yalta protocol on reparation²⁸ provided merely that the three Governments should participate and that while we had done everything possible to obtain inclusion of the French and still hoped to do so, we did not feel, in view of the commitment made at Yalta, that the talks could be delayed indefinitely over this issue. We also said that the U.S. representative on the Reparation Commission had discussed this matter with Mr. Eden some weeks ago, and that in this discussion there had been agreement that reparation talks should not be further delayed over the question of French participation.

Please communicate the foregoing to Mr. Pauley.

Grew

27. Not printed.
28. Conferences at Malta and Yalta, p. 982.