Editorial Note
On October 20 in Paris and on October 22 in London, George Humphrey, Chairman of the Industrial Advisory Committee of the Economic Cooperation Administration, held a number of meetings with French and British officials on various aspects of the problems of reparations and dismantlement. Humphrey was accompanied by members of the staff of the Industrial Advisory Committee, and he was joined in London by Ambassador Douglas. Participating in these talks for France were Hervé Alphand, Jacques Rueff, and François de Panafieu. Lord Henderson, General Robertson, Roger Makins, and Roger Stevens participated for the United Kingdom. Records of these meetings are included in Department of State file 740.00119 EW/10–2048.
On October 27, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France issued to the press a three-power statement announcing that agreement had been reached among the three governments that there was need for a review of certain aspects of reparations and dismantlement lists. The review, to be carried out by the Industrial Advisory Committee of the Economic Cooperation Administration with the cooperation of the United Kingdom and French Governments, was to determine which plants scheduled for reparation might better serve general [Page 830] European recovery if retained in Germany. For the text of the tripartite statement, see Department of State Bulletin, November 7, 1948, page 584, or Germany 1947–1949, page 424.
The statement had been prepared by American, British, and French representatives in London following preliminary discussions in Paris and London between representatives of the Industrial Advisory Committee and French and British officials.