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

740.00119 Council/11–2747: Telegram

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

confidential

London , November 27, 1947—9 p.m.

6219. Delsec 1507. For the President, Vandenberg, Connally, Eaton, Bloom and Lovett. Third CFM meeting November 27, Marshall presiding, considered the second item on its agenda—the preparation of the German peace treaty; frontiers and procedures.

Bidault asked the Council to approve the economic integration into France of the Saar which would legalize the de facto status of the area. He also asked the CFM to settle in principle the question of the rectifications of the German frontiers desired by Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. He stressed the demographic problem created in Germany since the war by crowding more Germans into less area than that of pre-war Germany. He restated his Moscow position that large numbers of Germans should emigrate to other countries, and urged that any frontier changes should result in no further transfers of persons into Germany.

Bevin restated the British position taken at Moscow on the establishment of a central German government.⁸² He said he is prepared to shorten the time when the creation of such a government can be allowed but wants to be certain of a democratic not a puppet government and does not want to allow conditions to develop which would lead again to the establishment of a dictatorship in Germany. He differed with Bidault’s position on the density of population in Germany and pointed out that if freedom of movement throughout Germany were guaranteed, the population density of the various zones would be eased. At a later time, he added, remedial measures could be studied by experts and action taken if necessary. He restated his proposal to create a frontier commission which he said would start work immediately on the German frontier rectification claims of the Allied states mentioned by Bidault.⁸³ He reaffirmed his support of the French position on the Saar.

Molotov proposed that the Council consider the following main questions relating to the procedure for the preparation of the German peace treaty: (1) formation of an all-German democratic government; (2) peace conference for the consideration of a draft peace treaty; and (3) basic directives for the preparation of the peace treaty.⁸⁴

Marshall supported Bevin’s plan to form a German frontier commission to handle all boundary claims but added that the US favored two commissions for this work. He supported the economic integration of the Saar into France accompanied by political autonomy for the region. He said the Polish-German frontier had not been settled (as Molotov has contended) but is a question for the peace conference and should be decided in such a way as to contribute to the economic and political stability of Europe.⁸⁵ He agreed in principle with the UK plan for the creation of a central German government adding that differences of detail can be worked out by the deputies for Germany or by the Allied Control Council in Berlin.

Marshall said the US had been the leader in urging the creation of a provisional German government.⁸⁶ He added that Molotov’s proposal that the German government be given an opportunity to state its views at the peace conference involved a question of timing which he believed could be worked out. He said he would make a formal reply later but pointed out his disagreement with the Soviet position on the list of states which would participate in the work of preparing the peace treaty.

Bidault stated that the Council was not following its agenda and was discussing questions other than frontiers and procedure for the establishment of a German peace treaty. He supported the creation of commissions to work on German boundary questions but Molotov’s objection that such a decision was premature prevented CFM agreement on this proposal.

Repeated to Moscow, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Rome.

Douglas

82. Prior to making his statement, Foreign Secretary Bevin circulated to the Council a proposal entitled “Supplementary Principles to Govern the Treatment of Germany”, designated document CFM(47) (L)7, November 27, 1947, p. 779. This was the same proposal the British Delegation circulated to the Moscow Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers as document CFM(47) (M)89, March 31, 1947.
83. For Bevin’s proposal, see document CFM(47) (L)12, November 28, p. 789.
84. For the text of Foreign Minister Molotov’s statement and proposal, see Molotov, Problems of Foreign Policy, pp. 511–514. The text of the Molotov proposal, circulated to the Council as document CFM(47) (L)9, November 27, is also printed in Documents on International Affairs, 1947–1948, pp. 510–511.
85. For the text of the Secretary of State’s statement on the Polish-German frontier, see Germany 1947–1949, p. 149 or Department of State Bulletin, December 7, 1947, pp. 1078–1079.
86. For the text of the Secretary of State’s statement on the need for a Provisional German Government, see Germany 1947–1949, pp. 192–193 or Department of State Bulletin, December 7, 1947, p. 1079.