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

740.00119 Council/11–2647: Telegram

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

confidential
urgent

London, November 26, 1947—9 p.m.

6210. Delsec 1504. For the President, Vandenberg, Connally, Eaton, Bloom and Lovett. Second CFM meeting November 26, Molotov presiding.

The Council approved its agenda and agreed on the following order of discussing the six items:

(1) Austrian treaty; (2) preparation of the German peace treaty; frontiers and procedure; (3) German economic principles, level of German postwar economy and reparations; (4) form and scope of the provisional political organization of Germany; (5) implementation of decisions taken at the Moscow CFM session on demilitarization; (6) US draft disarmament and demilitarization treaty.

The Council then referred the Austrian question, including the report of the Austrian Treaty Commission,⁷⁹ to the Austrian deputies⁸⁰ who will report back to the Council December 5.

Agreement on the agenda came when Molotov abandoned his position that the German question be discussed first and after he had read long prepared statement blaming the US and UK for delaying the conclusion of a German treaty and accusing them of seeking “an imperialist peace” while the USSR sought a “democratic peace”. He summarized Soviet views on the German question and listed as the two most important and urgent items the formation of “an all-German democratic government” and a CFM decision on the method of preparing a German peace treaty.⁸¹

Marshall stated that the American people want a German treaty to be concluded as early as possible and that Molotov’s unfounded charges merely delay the business of discussing a German treaty. He asked Molotov to refrain from making propaganda charges and proceed logically and quietly with the business at hand. He emphasized that the United States is interested in the substance not the shadow of a German settlement.

Bevin said the UK, US, and France are accustomed to being called warmongers and that only the Soviet Union is “up above” while the Western Powers must be “down below”. He added that “if we can treat the Soviet charges with the humor they deserve, we can promote peace”.

The Council adjourned after agreeing to discuss tomorrow the procedure to be followed in preparing the draft of the German treaty.

79. Document CFM/ATC(47)77, October 11, 1947, p. 631.
80. As Special Deputies for Austria, the Council designated the following: United States–Ambassador Dodge, United Kingdom–James Marjoribanks, France–General Cherrière, Soviet Union–N. P. Koktomov.
81. For the text of Molotov’s statement, circulated to the Council as document CFM(47) (L)6, November 26, 1947, see Molotov, Problems of Foreign Policy, pp. 503–510.