Foreign Relations of the United States, 1948, Germany and Austria, Volume II

740.00119 Control (Germany)/11–1848: Telegram

The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Douglas) to the Acting Secretary of State

secret

London, November 18, 1948—10 a. m.

4910. Ruhrto 10. At fifth plenary session¹ several points previously reserved for discussion at plenary session were taken up and then referred to drafting committee for preparation drafts, including:

1. Organization of secretariat. French insisted executive secretary should not be German, but did not object if he was selected from non-signatory Allied power. US and UK agreed. In view understanding that council would be composed of representatives available for full time duties if necessary, agreed that size and importance of secretariat could be reduced and French draft² too detailed.

2. Chairmanship follows US draft³ except post to be rotated every 6 months.

3. Organization of Council follows US draft except selection of alternates to be required instead of permissive.

4. Headquarters as in US draft.

5. Authority to determine own procedures as in US draft.

6. French objected to German as official language. Agreed French, German, English to be used in conducting business, French and English to be official language.

7. US language on allocations function generally agreed. French and probably British accepted US language that allocations be for minimum quantities to be made available rather than a fixed quantity to be mandatory export. Belgium may have second thoughts. French proposed authority be given power specify quality and type of coal, coke and steel within allocations. All agreed.

8. US language on non-discrimination and trade practices adopted with two minor changes. Benelux proposed transport receive specific reference in opening sentence. British proposed distinction between governmental and private action be clarified.

Meeting ended with all delegates pleased at progress made.

Plenary will be held all day tomorrow to complete discussion of all but critical outstanding points and target set for Monday for preparation of preliminary combined draft.⁴ French propose to elaborate position on international control management at Monday or Tuesday session.

Sent Department 4910, repeated Berlin 595.

Douglas

1. A copy of the U.S. Delegation minutes of this meeting (Min/L/R/5), held at the Foreign Office, November 17, 3:15 p. m., was transmitted to the Department as an enclosure to despatch 2319, November 24, from London, neither printed (740.00119 Control (Germany)/11–2448).
2. Document RC/4, November 12, not printed.
3. Document RC/3, November 12, p. 484.
4. The London Conference on the Ruhr held its 6th and 7th Plenary meetings on November 18 concluding the discussion of the various outstanding points of the draft agreements on the Ruhr already introduced by the U.S., U.K., and French Delegations. It was left to the Drafting Committee to prepare a consolidated draft agreement indicating the points of disagreement among the Delegations. The draft prepared by the Drafting Committee, document RC/6, November 22, not printed, was considered by the Conference at its 8th Meeting, November 23. The U.S. Delegation transmitted no reports to the Department of State on the 6th, 7th, and 8th Meetings of the Conference. The U.S. Delegation minutes of these meetings were transmitted to Department as enclosures to despatches 2332, 2333, and 2356, November 26, and 30, from London, respectively, none printed (740.00119 Control (Germany)/11–2648 and 11–3048). A copy of document RC/6 was transmitted to the Department as an enclosure to despatch 2359, November 30, from London, not printed (740.00119 Control (Germany)/11–3048).