740.00119 Council/6–748: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Douglas) to the Secretary of State
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2511. Sir William Strang called upon the Soviet Ambassador Zaroubin at 10 o’clock this morning to deliver, as an act of courtesy, a communiqué covering the recent London talks on Germany. The following was given me by Strang as an account of his conversation with Zaroubin.
[Here follow Strang’s notes of his conversation with Zarubin. Strang explained that in his capacity as chairman of the London Conference on Germany he had been asked to hand to the Ambassador a copy of the Conference Communiqué (see page 313) in advance of its release to the press. Zarubin reiterated the attitude of the Soviet Government, expressed in notes in February, March and April, that decisions regarding Germany reached without the participation of the Soviet Union, violated the existing four-power agreements on Germany.]
In discussing the above with Strang and Massigli this afternoon, the latter strongly urged that an answer to Zaroubin was necessary. Moreover, for internal French political reasons, principally for the purpose of carrying the Socialists in the forthcoming debate in the Chamber of Deputies, Massigli said that Bidault felt that an answer was necessary. He suggested that it take the form either of an oral statement to be made by the representative Ambassadors of the three western powers in Moscow or alternatively that it should be made in the capitals of the three western powers to the Soviet Ambassadors. He indicated that it should be associated with Zaroubin’s remarks to Strang and should be substantially in the following terms:
“The démarche to be made to Moscow should not admit of any communication of texts accepted by the three governments.
“It should consist of a declaration saying in substance, that a political organization is going to be set up in the three western zones in such and such conditions, that these measures have been rendered necessary by the repulse (échec) of the Council of Foreign Ministers and the impossibility of arriving at an agreement of the four, that the three governments wish (souhaitent) that such an accord should be able finally to occur and that, in that spirit the door remains open in order that at any time (à tout moment) the Soviet zone may join the organization established in the western zones.
[Page 367]“It is the attitude taken by London and Washington with regard to Paris and Moscow when the bizone was established.”
On interrogation, Massigli conceded that the only reason of substance for any such statement was to carry the Socialists.
Strang indicated that while he would present Massigli’s views to Mr. Bevin, he doubted, from previous conversations with Bevin, that HMG would agree to Massigli’s firmly put suggestion. This coincides with what Bevin told me this morning to the effect that any communication to the Soviet, in his opinion, would be a mistake and that we should not indicate any vacillation or wavering but should instead proceed to carry out our program. I expressed to Massigli doubts as to whether my government would agree to his proposal but indicated that I would put the matter to you.
Inasmuch as Massigli would like to have an answer tomorrow when we meet again at 11:30 London time, would very much appreciate your comments.
My own view is that probably Soviet propaganda, of which Zaroubin’s remarks are but the beginning, will require some answer from us. I doubt very seriously, however, that it should take the form of either an oral or a written statement submitted either in the three capitals to the Soviet Ambassador or through the Ambassadors of the three countries to the Kremlin.1
It was interesting that Zaroubin spoke from notes, for this revealed preparation and advice from Moscow and everything that this implies.
Sent Department 2511; repeated Berlin (for Murphy and Clay) as 180.
- Telegram 2139, June 8, to London, not printed, observed that Ambassador Douglas’ views set forth here confirmed the doubts of the Department concerning the advisability of a further formal approach to the Soviet Union. The Department considered that it might be useful for the United States, United Kingdom and France to issue statements along the lines of paragraph 2 of telegram 2493, June 6, from London (p. 365). The telegram transmitted the draft text of a statement to be made by Secretary Marshall to a forthcoming press conference (740.00119 Council/6–848). For the text of statement given by the Secretary to the press on June 9, sec Department of State Bulletin, June 20, 1948, p. 810.↩