Foreign Relations of the United States, 1947, Council of Foreign Ministers; Germany and Austria, Volume II

740.00119 Council/12–2646

The Department of State to the Canadian Embassy ²

Aide–Mémoire

The Department of State acknowledges receipt of the aide-mémoire of December 26, 1946³ from the Embassy of Canada commenting on the instructions of the Council of Foreign Ministers to the Deputies for Germany and stating the views of the Government of Canada with respect to participation in the preparation of the peace settlements with Germany and Austria.

The Embassy will recall that the instructions to the Deputies require them to “hear the views of the Governments of neighbouring Allied States and of other Allied States which participated with their armed forces in the common struggle against Germany, which wish to present their views on the German problem.” This was intended to give the active Allies the chance to present their views even before the Foreign Ministers started to give consideration to the German and Austrian problems or reached even tentative conclusions on either substance or procedure with respect thereto. In the view of the Department, this will give the active Allies more and not less opportunity at an early stage to participate on the German and Austrian settlements than was given in the case of the treaties with Italy and the ex-satellite states.

The Council of Foreign Ministers has not decided as yet the manner of participation which will be extended to the active Allies at later stages. Indeed the Deputies are specifically instructed to consider questions of procedure with regard to the preparation of the German treaty. So far as the United States Government is concerned, it sees no reason why the Canadian Government in presenting its view to the Deputies on these problems should not present its views as to the most appropriate procedure for dealing with those problems within the general framework within which the Council of Foreign Ministers operates.

The United States Government is sure that the Deputies will give full consideration to the views presented by the Canadian Government, both written and oral. In this connection the Canadian Government will have received the invitation which the Council of Foreign Ministers extended on December 31, 1946 to the Governments of the other active Allies. Of course, representatives of the United States Government are prepared at any time informally to exchange views and discuss with representatives of the Canadian Government any aspects of the German and Austrian problems which the Canadian Government may wish to consider.

Furthermore, the Department of State wishes to emphasize that it is the desire of this Government to make of the London meeting the occasion of a genuine discussion of views with respect to the German and Austrian problems to the end that the other immediately interested Allied Governments have a large and responsible role in the solution thereof. It is for this reason that the Government of the United States hopes that the Government of Canada will respond to the invitation extended on December 31, 1946 and give the Deputies the benefit of Canadian views which have on so many other occasions contributed to constructive solutions of problems of similar gravity.

Washington, January 11, 1947.

2. This aide-mémoire was handed to the Canadian Ambassador on January 13, 1947.
3. Not printed. It expressed the view of the Canadian Government that the arrangements for the preparation of the draft treaties for Germany and Austria, as approved by the Council of Foreign Ministers, provided an even smaller opportunity for interested governments to participate than did the arrangements for the preparation of the Italian settlement. It was the Canadian Government’s desire to find some form of association in the preparation in the German and Austrian settlements more in keeping with Canada’s contribution to the war. In particular, the Canadian Government felt that it would be useful for the Deputies of the Council of Foreign Ministers to discuss with the representatives of the smaller powers not only the terms of the settlement with Austria and Germany but also the questions of procedure. The Canadian Government also suggested that the representatives of the smaller powers should be associated on a functional basis in the actual drafting of the treaties (740.00119 Council/12–2646).