Editorial Note

American, British, and French proposals for a paper on the political organization of Western Germany were discussed at several private meetings of the heads of the three delegations and at meetings of a Drafting Committee appointed to prepare a paper reconciling the three proposals. These meetings, held on April 28, 29, and 30, eventuated in several successive redactions of a paper incorporating the agreed positions of the three delegations. A version of this paper, designated document TRI/13 (2nd Revise), dated April 30, was transmitted to the Department in telegram 1869, Delsec 1702, April 30, from London, neither printed (740.00119 Council/4–3048). At an informal meeting of the delegations on April 30, it was agreed to prepare, on the basis of document TRI/13 (2nd Revise), two draft communications to the American, British, and French Military Governors. One communication was a draft letter of advice to the Military Governors regarding the German Constitution. The first version of this communication, designated document TRI/15, May 1, was transmitted to the Department in telegram 1883, Delsec 1704, May 1, from London, neither printed (740.00119 Council/5–148). The second communication was a draft letter of advice to the Military Governors [Page 214] regarding the definition of the relationship between the constitutional German government and the Allied occupation authorities. The first preliminary draft of this letter, prepared by the British Delegation, was transmitted in telegram 1884, Delsec 1705, May 1, from London, not printed (740.00119 Council/5–148). Later drafts of this letter were in the TRI/17 Conference documentation series.