740.00119 Council/11–2947: Telegram
The United States Delegation at the Council of Foreign Ministers to President Truman, the Acting Secretary of State, and Others
urgent
6255. Delsec 1511. For the President, Vandenberg, Connally, Eaton, Bloom and Lovett. Fifth CFM meeting, November 29, Bevin presiding, discussed the details of the procedure for the preparation of the German peace treaty.92 The government of Allied states to be considered by the Council in preparing the treaty was agreed on in principle at Moscow with the exception of Albania. Since the Moscow meetings the division of India has raised the question of adding Pakistan.
Molotov proposed that both Pakistan and Albania be included among the Allied states to be consulted. Marshall and Bevin stated their opposition to the inclusion of Albania while Bidault reaffirmed the French position in favor of consulting Albania. Bevin proposed and the other ministers agreed to include Pakistan but reserve their position on Albania until after a separate discussion of the whole question of Albania.
The Council then discussed Molotov’s insistence on forming an all-German government prior to the calling of a conference to discuss the Council’s draft German peace treaty. Marshall stated that this proposal would tie the Council’s hands and Bidault strongly opposed it contending that the formation of a central German government was not tied to nor should it be made a prior condition to the calling of the conference to discuss the draft peace treaty. Bevin also objected to the Molotov proposal and attempted to overcome differences on this point by suggesting that Molotov’s wording be replaced by a statement that representatives of a German government adequate for the purpose of accepting a peace treaty will be given an opportunity of stating their views at the peace conference. Molotov accepted Bevin’s change but added that it was insufficient. He asked the addition of the statement that the creation of an all-German government admitted no delay. Bidault replied that the creation of a German government, the form and scope of which the CFM had not yet decided, must not precede the calling of the peace conference. Marshall reserved his [Page 741] position on Bevin’s proposal after pointing out that the Potsdam Agreement provided that the CFM would be utilized for the preparation of a peace settlement for Germany to be accepted by the government of Germany when a government adequate for the purpose is established. Marshall said he hoped a German government would be in existence before the peace conference but that the two questions should not be contingent upon each other.
Further discussion did not resolve the difference over which should come first, the central German government or the peace treaty. Bevin proposed and the Council agreed to pass on to the next subject.
The Ministers decided to adjourn until Monday when they will continue discussion of procedure for the preparation of the peace treaty.
Repeated to Moscow, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Rome.
- Starting with this meeting and continuing through its 8th Meeting, December 3, the Council had under consideration document CFM(D) (L) (47) (G)78 rev., November 12, 1947, Procedure for the Preparation of the German Peace Treaty, not printed. This document incorporated the minor revisions of document CFM(47) (M)125, April 12, 1947, p. 452, on which the Deputies for Germany had agreed during the session in London in early November 1947. The differences between CFM(47) (M)125 and CFM(D) (L) (47) (G)78 rev. are indicated in annotations to the former document.↩