740.00119 Council/4–1546: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Caffery) to the Secretary of State
priority
[Received 10:15 p.m.]
1787. Following is translation of note dated April 13 just received from Foreign Office concerning invitations to the conference which was to meet at Paris May 1 (Department’s 1605, April 10, 1726, April 1177):
The American Embassy was good enough by a note verbale of April 11 to inquire whether the French Government intends to send invitations to the appropriate governments, for the conference which is to proceed to the study of the peace treaties. The French Government has already informed the governments represented on the Council of (Foreign Ministers) Deputies at London that it was prepared to send these invitations. From the replies which have been received it seems that there is no agreement between the governments on this point, the Soviet Government taking the position that the conference, according to the Moscow communiqué of December 27, 1945, can only meet when the preparation of the draft treaties has been completed.
Prior to sending the invitations to the conference the French Government is therefore waiting until the Council of the four Ministers which meets at Paris on the 25th of this month has decided on the proper moment to send the invitations.
Furthermore, the French Government addressed today invitation to the Foreign Ministers to meet at Paris April 25.
- Neither printed. Telegram 1605, April 10, 1946, to Paris, directed that inquiries be made with respect to French intentions regarding the convening of a peace conference (740.00119 Council/4–1146). Telegram 1726, April 11, 1946, from Paris, reported that the French Government was not intending to issue invitations for a peace conference beginning May 1 (740.00119 Council/4–1146).↩