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

740.00119 Council/11–2547: Telegram

The United States Delegation at the Council of Foreign Ministers to President Truman, the Acting Secretary of State, and Others ⁷⁷

confidential
urgent

London , November 25, 1947—10 p.m.

6191. Delsec 1501. For the President, Vandenberg, Connally, Eaton, Bloom and Lovett. First meeting Council of Foreign Ministers opened November 25 in Lancaster House with Bevin, Molotov, Bidault and Marshall present. It was agreed that the chairmanship of the London session will rotate each meeting and that the Council will meet daily at 3:30 p.m.

Marshall introduced a suggestion to speed up the Council’s work. Each Minister under the plan would circulate all prepared statements to his colleagues in advance of the meetings in order to avoid reading them before the Council, thus saving the time taken to translate them. The plan was accepted by all as a guide to be followed whenever possible.

Bevin, as Chairman, raised the question of the Council’s agenda, on which the Ministers’ Deputies could not agree during their meeting here last week.⁷⁸ The US, UK and France had proposed that the Austrian treaty be considered by the Council before the German problem. Molotov reaffirmed the Soviet position by saying that the German question is more important than the Austrian treaty and therefore should be considered first, specifically, the procedure for preparation of the German peace treaty. Marshall urged that the Austrian treaty be taken up first. He pointed out that the Ministers are close to agreement on this treaty and that the Council’s completion of the treaty to reestablish the independence of Austria would reassure the people of the world. Bevin and Bidault supported this position but Molotov insisted that the Council begin its work by discussing the procedure to be followed in preparing the German peace treaty.

Marshall said CFM agreement on items on the agenda concerning the principles for German economic and political unity is essential before the Council can discuss profitably the procedure to be followed in preparing the German peace treaty.

Bidault stated that the world would be dismayed if the Ministers could not agree even on the order of their agenda and joined with Bevin in suggesting that, as a compromise, the Ministers exchange preliminary views on the Austrian question which could then be referred to the Deputies for Austria for further discussion while the Ministers proceeded to discuss the German question.

Bevin asked Molotov whether Soviet insistence on placing the Austrian treaty last on the agenda meant that if full agreement on the German question is not reached at this session, the completion of the Austrian treaty would again be delayed. Bevin added that the two issues are independent of each other. Molotov did not answer Bevin’s question, but stated that the three Ministers were seeking to compel him to agree. He argued that agreement on current German questions, as maintained by Marshall, is not required prior to discussion of the procedure for preparing the German peace treaty.

Marshall said the US delegation would agree to refer the Austrian question to the Deputies with or without prior discussion by the Ministers and then pass on at once to the next question on the agenda. This suggestion was not accepted by Molotov. Thus, no agreement was reached on the order of discussing items on the agenda.

Bevin then raised the question of what other subjects would be included on the agenda. He asked whether Molotov would agree to include the US draft treaty for the disarmament and demilitarization of Germany. Molotov replied that he would agree to discuss the draft treaty only if the Council also discussed the present status of the disarmament and demilitarization of Germany. The Council agreed to include both these subjects on the agenda.

Molotov’s objection to inclusion of a separate item on German frontiers was overcome when the Council agreed to include on the agenda as an item “The Preparation of a Peace Treaty for Germany, Frontiers and Procedure”.

77. The United States Delegation prepared both verbatim minutes and summary minutes of each meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers at London. These minutes are included in CFM Files, Lot M–88, Box 87. The Delegation also prepared a brief summary report of each Council meeting for transmission by telegram to Washington. These telegraphic summary reports, all of which are printed in the present collection of documents, were transmitted to Washington via the Embassy in London and bore the Embassy telegram number together with the special Delegation series indicator.

78. The British, American, and French agenda proposals, circulated as documents CFM(47) (L) 1, 2, and 4, respectively, November 25, 1947, were virtually identical in listing the following six items:

    1. Report of the Commission on the Treaty with Austria.

    2. Economic principles, level of post-war German economy and reparations plan.

    3. Form and scope of the provisional political organization of Germany.

    4. The U.S. draft disarmament and demilitarization treaty: other questions relating to security.

    5. Frontiers of Germany.

    6. Procedure of the preparation of the German peace treaty.

    The Soviet agenda proposal, circulated as document CFM (47) (L)3, November 25, listed the following five items.

    1. Procedure for the preparation of the German Peace Treaty.

    2. Implementation of the decisions taken at the Moscow Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers on demilitarization.

    3. Economic principles, level of post-war German economy and reparations plan.

    4. Form and scope of the provisional political organisation of Germany.

    5. Report of the Commission on the Treaty with Austria.