Office of the Historian

862.6362/7–2047

The British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Bevin) to the Secretary of State 30

undated

I am giving careful study to the present position as regards both the level of industry and the reorganisation of the management of the coal industry in Germany. I intend to consult my colleagues on these matters in the light of M. Bidault’s message early next week. In view of the joint Anglo-American responsibility for the bizonal area it is clearly necessary that the replies of both His Majesty’s Government and the United States Government to M. Bidault’s letter should be on parallel lines, and I should welcome any indication you can give me of the views of your Government of the important issues raised by M. Bidault. I understand that M. Bidault has to answer a Parliamentary Question on Friday July 25th and being so, he clearly ought to be in possession of the views of our two Governments before that date.

[Page 1000]

In the meantime I am instructing General Robertson in Berlin that he must suspend for the time being all further action in the matter of concluding an Anglo-American Agreement on the subject either of the level of industry or the management of the coal industry as the matter is now under consideration by His Majesty’s Government; that he may make no announcement and that no publicity either official or unofficial should be given to either question in Berlin; and that no communication should be made to the I.A.R.A. in Brussels on the level of industry as was at one time contemplated. I hope that you may feel able to send similar instructions to General Clay.

  1. The source text was transmitted to the Secretary of State by British Chargé Balfour under cover of a letter dated July 20, 1947, not printed.↩