CFM Files: Lot M–88: Box 2161: CFM(D) (47) (G) Documents

Proposal of the Soviet Delegation to the Deputies for Germany of the Council of Foreign Ministers 56

secret
CFM(D) (47) (G)56

Procedure for the Preparation of the Peace Treaty With Germany

I.

order of the preparation and drafting of the peace treaty with germany by the council of foreign ministers

[The text of this section is identical with the text of the previous proposal of the Soviet Delegation, document C.F.M.(D) (47) (G)22 (Revised), January 28, 1947, page 15, with one exception. The second, unnumbered paragraph of CFM(D) (47) (G)22(Revised), which begins “The Council of Foreign Ministers will hear the views …”, is not included in this section. It appears instead, in a slightly amended form, as the first paragraph of Section II of this document.]

II.

consultation of the council of foreign ministers with the allied governments and the informing of the latter on the questions of the preparation of the peace treaty with germany

1.
The Council of Foreign Ministers will hear the views of the Governments of the Allied States neighbouring on Germany and of other Allied States which participated with their armed forces in [Page 31] the common struggle against Germany and wish to express their views on the German problem.57
2.
The Representatives of the Governments of the countries which were under German occupation, as directly interested countries will, in accordance with the decision of the Council of Foreign Ministers, be invited in each separate case to take part in the discussion and study of the question, directly affecting the interests of a given country.
The directly interested countries are those countries which were under German occupation, namely: Albania,58 Belgium, Byelorussian S.S.R., Denmark, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Ukrainian S.S.R., and Yugoslavia.
3.
The Council of Foreign Ministers will set up a Standing Committee consisting of the Representatives of the Foreign Ministers of the Countries in whose name the Act of military surrender of Germany was signed, with a view to consulting with the Allied Governments and informing them on the questions of the preparation of the peace treaty with Germany.
4.
The tasks of the Standing Committee will be as follows:
a/
Consultation with the Representatives of the Allied Governments on the questions set out in the memoranda and oral statements of the Allied Governments on the German problem.
b/
Discussion with the experts of the Allied Governments at a meeting of the Standing Committee of separate questions of special interest to individual Allied countries.
c/
Informing of the Allied Governments on the work of the Council of Foreign Ministers on the preparation of the Peace Treaty with Germany. The order and extent of information will be determined by the Ministers or their Deputies.
d/
Transfer, with the agreement of the Allied Governments, to the other Allied Governments, of their memoranda, statements and other documents, submitted to the Council of Foreign Ministers.
e/
Standing Committee will make reports on its work and recommendations on separate questions to the Deputies for consideration
5.
The Standing Committee will carry out its work availing itself of the service of the Representatives or experts of the directly interested countries who will participate in the meetings of the Standing Committee in the course of the latter’s discussions of the questions directly affecting a given country. The Representatives of the other Allied countries may be present at these meetings.
6.
The Standing Committee may set up ad hoc sub-committees with the participation of the experts of the directly interested Allied countries with a view to studying separate questions of special interest to individual Allied countries. If necessary, the sub-committees may organise the study of such questions by making on-the-spot visits.
The results of the sub-committees’ work will be considered by the Standing Committee.
7.
In considering the reports and recommendations of the Standing Committee the Deputies of the Ministers may invite the Representatives of a directly interested country to participate in the discussion on the questions directly affecting the interests of the given country.
  1. This proposal was considered in detail by the Deputies for Germany at their 19th, 20th, 21st, and 25th Meetings, February 12, 13, 14, and 19, respectively.
  2. In telegram 998, Delsec 1229, February 13, 1947, from London, not printed, Murphy reported on the 19th Meeting of the Deputies for Germany. With respect to the discussion of this paragraph of the Soviet proposal, Murphy reported as follows:

    “Referring to paragraph 1, US delegate inquired whether the phrase ‘CFM will hear the views’ referred to present or future hearings. Not evading issue as previously Soviet deputy replied that reference in paragraph 1 is not limited to present hearings. Referring to previous discussion in which Soviet deputy sought to define states having direct interest in German problem in same terms as in present proposal, I reiterated that geographical limitation was improper and that such definition was unacceptable. In this connection I mentioned in particular Canada’s direct interest in German problem as exemplified by her declaration of war against Germany in September 1939. Soviet deputy replied that geography had placed Germany in center of Europe and this geographical location had resulted in several countries suffering such devastation as will last several generations. Germans were never in Canada nor in Brazil and with our assistance they never will get there. I pointed out in reply that while it is true that Germans did not arrive in Canada, a good many Canadian soldiers did arrive in Germany, which is more to the point.” (740.00119 Council/2–1347)

  3. At the 19th Meeting of the Deputies for Germany, Murphy reiterated that the inclusion of Albania in the Soviet list could not be accepted by the United States since the United States Government had no diplomatic relations with the Albanian Government. Murphy further observed that the United States did not seek to deny the Albanian people their legitimate rights, but the United States did distinguish between a government that was imposed upon the Albanian people and a government they might have chosen themselves.