Foreign Relations of the United States, 1946, Council of Foreign Ministers, Volume II

C.F.M. Files: Lot M–88: Box 2063: US Delegation Minutes

United States Delegation Record, Council of Foreign Ministers, Second Session, Ninth Informal Meeting, Paris, May 16, 1946, 5:15 p.m.

Paris, May 16, 1946, 5:15 p.m.

secret

Present

	U.S.
	Mr. Byrnes [Chairman]
	Senator Connally
	Senator Vandenberg
	General Clay
	Mr. Bohlen
U.K.		France
Mr. Bevin		M. Bidault
Sir Oliver Harvey		M. Couve de Murville
Sir William Strang		M. Hervé Alphand
General Robertson		M. Courcel (Interpreter)
	U.S.S.R.
	M. Molotov
	M. Vyshinsky
	(Two Interpreters)

After the signature of the agreements on the revised Italian armistice terms, the Council resumed restricted session, with the Secretary presiding.

The Secretary asked M. Molotov if he was now in position to give a reply to the United States proposal to set up a Special Committee of Deputies to study German questions.

M. Molotov said the Soviet Government had not had time to study these proposals.

The Secretary emphasized he only had in mind setting up this body and referring also for discussion the question of their terms of reference. He said, however, if M. Molotov was not ready to discuss the setting up of this Committee of Special Deputies there was no point in discussing any terms of reference.

M. Molotov remarked that Mr. Bevin had also had a reservation concerning the Special Deputies.

The Secretary said one other point that he would suggest was that in his proposal concerning the conference, the conference be referred to as a “General Allied Conference” rather than “Peace Conference” in order to avoid misunderstanding, and that he was prepared to accept M. Bidault’s proposal that the June 15 meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers take up the question of fixing a date for the conference.

He then asked Mr. Bevin and M. Bidault whether they approved the proposal to set up the Committee of Special Deputies for Germany.

M. Bidault replied, with a reservation as to the terms of reference he was prepared to discuss the suggested procedure.

Mr. Bevin replied likewise that he had no objection to setting up the Committee of Special Deputies but he would likewise have some observations concerning its terms of reference. He felt they should consider the German question as a whole—the execution of the Berlin decisions, frontiers, and any other appropriate question. Priority could, of course, be given to certain questions for report on June 15.⁷⁹

The Secretary remarked that that brought us back to the question as to whether they could agree to the appointment of this committee.

M. Molotov said he had nothing to add to the statement he had made this morning.

The Secretary repeated that if M. Molotov could not give an answer to the appointment of this body, it was useless to discuss terms of reference for a body that did not exist.

Mr. Bevin said he had made his suggestion in an effort to meet the views of the other delegations. He wished to have the Special Deputies study Germany as a whole but he could understand France’s special interest in the western frontiers and in the separation of the Ruhr. However, if nothing could be accomplished there was little point in continuing. He felt an exchange of views, however, had been valuable.

The Secretary agreed and said he hoped that the June 15 meeting would be more successful. He wished, however, to express in behalf of the United States his appreciation to M. Bidault and to the French Government for the many courtesies and kindnesses which had been accorded them during their stay in Paris and he was looking forward to his return on June 15.

M. Bidault thanked the Secretary and explained that they would be welcome with the same sympathy and understanding when they returned.

M. Molotov and Mr. Bevin associated themselves with the Secretary’s remarks and Mr. Bevin added that it was now clear that whatever she had gone through the grandeur of France remained undiminished.

The present session of the Council of Foreign Ministers was then adjourned to reconvene June 15 in Paris.

79. An aide-mémoire from the British Embassy to the Department of State, dated June 3, 1946, not printed, quoted the text of the terms of reference proposed by Bevin and expressed the hope that the United States Government would be able to agree to something “on these lines” when the question next came up before the Foreign Ministers. The terms of reference were as follows:

    “That Special Deputies be appointed to examine the whole problem of Germany; to study the implementation of the decision of Berlin; to study proposals to lead up to the preparation of a Peace Treaty and the fixing of frontiers; to take into account the views expressed at this Paris Conference on Germany and its future and to present an interim report at the meeting of June 15th.” (740.00119 EW/6–346)