740.00119 Council/2–2047
The British Embassy to the Department of State 36
Aide–Mémoire
His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom are considering whether it would be possible to postpone the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers which is due to begin in Moscow on March 10th.
- 2.
- His Majesty’s Government are informed that, owing to the unusually severe winter, passage of the Baltic and disembarkation at Libau will be impossible during the first week in March. Consequently there remains a difficulty with regard to transportation for the British Delegation; transportation by air must be excluded, and His Majesty’s Government have not yet been able to ascertain whether rail transport facilities will be available. Moreover, Moscow would be much more tolerable in the Spring after the thaw has set in.
- 3.
- His Majesty’s Government therefore would welcome postponement of the meeting until April 15th.
- 4.
- A further reason in favour of postponement is that, according to present information, the long and disputed report which is being prepared by the Control Commission for Germany will not be available before the end of February. Thus, there will be little time for its study before the Moscow meeting. Furthermore, the Deputies of the Foreign Ministers have as yet made little progress.
- 5.
- His Majesty’s Government share the anxiety of the United States Government that no time should be lost in starting negotiations for a treaty with Austria. His Majesty’s Government also understand how eager the United States Government is to begin discussions on Germany. His Majesty’s Government hope, however, that on balance the United States Government will agree that a postponement is justifiable.
- 6.
- His Majesty’s Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs hopes that the Secretary of State will be ready to send to the Soviet Government a proposal for postponement, which His Majesty’s Government would then support. It would be necessary at the same time to inform the French Government of this action.
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This aide-mémoire was handed to Under Secretary of State Acheson by British Minister Sir John Balfour at 2:30 p. m. on February 20, 1947. After consulting with the Secretary of State, who discussed the matter on the telephone with the President, the Under Secretary saw Minister Balfour again at 5:30 p. m. and in accordance with the Secretary’s instructions handed him the following statement:
“The Secretary of State regrets that he cannot accede to Mr. Bevin’s request that he send to the Soviet Government a proposal to postpone the Moscow meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers until April 15, 1947. He has already stated his intention to attend the meeting on the date already set and is still prepared to do so.
“He appreciates the difficulties mentioned by His Majesty’s Government as warranting a postponement and would be willing to agree to such a proposal by Mr. Bevin should his Soviet and French colleagues be similarly disposed.” (740.00119 Council/2–2047)
According to the account in Walter Millis (ed.), The Forrestal Diaries (New York, Viking Press, 1951), p. 245, the Secretary of State told Secretary of the Navy Forrestal on February 24 that Foreign Secretary Bevin had called the previous day and had asked Secretary Marshall to request from the Soviet Government a postponement of the Council of Foreign Ministers meetings until April 15. Bevin explained that the Russian northern ports were closed and that he could not fly because of his heart. Secretary Marshall told Bevin that he would support a British request to postpone the meetings but would not himself initiate such a request. Marshall explained to Forrestal that Russian ice-breakers were finding it possible to open the northern ports for travel.
On February 25, 1947, the following message was sent to the Embassies in Moscow, London, and Paris: “Brit have decided not to request any postponement Moscow Conference and are planning arrive in Moscow by March 10.” (740.00119 Council/2–2547)
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