740.00119 Control (Germany)/4–2446: Telegram
The Chargé in the United Kingdom (Gallman) to the Secretary of State
urgent
[Received April 24—2:38 p.m.]
4418. For the Secretary and Dunn. Embtel 4238 to Dept April 17, 55 to Brussels, 145 to Moscow, 345[344] to Berlin, 36 to The Hague, and 296 to Paris.96
Under Secretary Harvey97 outlined to us this noon present status [Page 544] of British position on Ruhr. Bevin’s own ideas are not fixed other than that the Ruhr should not be separated politically from Germany and that it should be under international economic control. His thinking is along line that Ruhr Industries might well be developed under one or more international consortiums for benefit of Europe as a whole rather than as an arsenal for Germany. TVA was mentioned as an analogy. The idea of economic control, Harvey said, is not particularly tied up in Bevin’s mind with prolonged military occupation but he believes that there will be ample time during occupation period firmly to establish such control. His idea is that question of Soviet participation in control of Ruhr should be considered very carefully and slowly and possibly in relation to Soviet willingness or lack of it to have industrial centers in Eastern Europe placed under international control.
Instead of seeking Cabinet approval for any specific proposals on the Ruhr, Bevin has obtained Cabinet approval of the two principles of international economic control but no political separation and wide latitude to explore and exchange ideas with the Secretary, Bidault and Molotov.98 His idea is to talk individually with each of these three and to seek informal quadripartite discussion, preferably outside the conference, with a view to seeking agreement at this time only on general principles. If agreement on principles can be obtained, either the deputies or some similar body could in due course endeavor to work out a detailed arrangement. He is fully aware of the difficulties of proceeding far in quadripartite discussion of the problem at this time and does not favor including the Netherlands or Belgians in these discussions.
Harvey says that Spaak’s99 visit yesterday was primarily for purpose of asking opportunity to present Belgian views on Ruhr before any decisions were reached. Bevin took substantially same position he had taken with Schermerhorn, telling him that he fully realized the importance to Belgian of the disposition of Ruhr and any arrangements for international control of it, that one objective in his mind was to integrate Ruhr Industry with the economies not only of Germany but of France, Belgium and the Netherlands as well; that Spaak would be kept informed of discussions in Paris and that Belgium would certainly be consulted at later stage before any final decisions were reached. Harvey added that Spaak’s views on international control of Ruhr without political separation coincided closely with Bevin’s and Schermerhorn’s.
[Page 545]Sent to Paris as 297; repeated to Dept as 4418; Berlin as 358; Moscow as 146; Brussels as 56 and The Hague as 39.
[For documentation relating to Germany at the Second Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers in Paris, April 25–May 15 and June 15–July 12, 1946, see volume II.]
- This telegram not printed; it reported the nature of a talk, as outlined by Mr. Harvey, between Mr. Bevin and Netherlands Prime Minister William Schermerhorn on April 13, at which the latter expressed his view that the Ruhr should not be separated politically from Germany (740.00119 Control (Germany)/4–746).↩
- Oliver Harvey, Deputy Under Secretary of State, British Foreign Office.↩
- Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov, Soviet Minister for Foreign Affairs.↩
- Paul-Henri Spaak, Belgian Minister for Foreign Affairs.↩