740.00119 EW/1–2247: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom
418. You may inform FonOff (urtel 403 Jan 20, Sofia’s tel 58 Jan 22 rptd to London as 11 and previous) that Dept will welcome detailed expression FonOff views concerning implementation, interpretation and execution provisions peace treaties. You may add that in meantime we have been giving further consideration matter as a result of which we are increasingly persuaded of the inadvisability of undertaking establishment formal bodies to exercise concerted four or three power action or to formulate in advance rules of procedure to govern relationships heads of mission in exercise authority devolving upon them. In addition to potential frustration inherent in Soviet propensity utilize formalized procedure to defeat expressed purposes international engagements in favor attainment separate Soviet policy ends, we feel that, while identical provisions in four treaties1 suggest similarity approach in four countries, there are in fact sufficient differences in situations existing and consequently in problems which may be expected to confront us in each of countries concerned, to make advance formalized agreement on standardized procedure of questionable wisdom. While it may be desirable in each instance to agree on such matters as rotating chairmanships at consultative or committee levels, official languages, procedure for calling meetings, circulating and storing documents, it seems to us preferable to leave determination such matters for consideration by chiefs of mission concerned in each capital after coming into force of treaties. To do so would also have advantage of permitting us to take into account personalities of individuals selected by Soviets which we think experience has shown is factor of at least some consequence in determining degree cooperation achievable in day-to-day operations.
As regards decisions heads of mission we believe treaty language “acting in concert” envisages unanimity and that such unanimity [Page 7] likely in some countries operate advantage US and UK by affording opportunity our governments endeavor forestall unilateral Soviet action in Balkans of type which has been principal cause for complaint against conduct control commissions there.
Sent London, rptd Moscow, Rome, Sofia, Budapest and Bucharest.
- The fourth treaty under reference here is the Treaty of Peace with Italy. Materials on the implementation of the Italian Peace Treaty are included in the documentation on Italy presented in volume iii .↩