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

501.BC/10–1148: Telegram

The United States Representative at the United Nations (Austin) to the Acting Secretary of State

top secret
urgent

Paris, October 11, 1948—6 p. m.

Delga 280. For Lovett’s Eyes Only. Bramuglia presented representatives UK, US and France with following seven questions at separate meetings with each of them at which the answers were not discussed.¹

At meeting at Quai d’Orsay, October 10, representatives of three powers agreed to answer the questions in memorandum form set forth below. This memorandum was delivered to Bramuglia by Cadogan Sunday afternoon.

List of questions and answering memorandum follow:

• “1. Could you suggest some idea as to a denomination such as ‘opening of land corridor’ or another of a similar nature, with some complementary specifications?
• “2. What suggestions could you make as to the lifting of the so-called ‘blockade’ in order to carry out a meeting of the four ministers?
• “3. What do you think about fixing a certain date to carry out simultaneously the lifting of the so-called ‘blockade’ and a meeting of the four ministers?
• “4. What suggestions could you offer about a simultaneous lifting of the so-called ‘blockade’ with some other measure or [sic] financial character or of any other nature, morally compensatory, together with fixing a certain unterior [sic] date to carry out a meeting of the four ministers?
• “5. Do you agree with the suggestion that the meeting of four ministers spoken of in the three prior questions, should have an ‘agenda’ fixed ‘a priori’?
• “6. What do you think about a meeting of representatives of the four parties, appointed ‘ad-hoc’ to solve the exsting difficulties, prior to the one of four ministers?
• “7. What other suggestions could you offer?”

Memorandum

“The representatives on the Security Council of the Governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, and France have considered the questions informally submitted to them by Senor Bramuglia. They think it would be convenient to give their replies the form of the attached memorandum.

“As regards paragraph 4 of the attached memorandum, it is understood that the three governments are ready to hold a meeting of the Council Foreign Ministers as soon as the restrictions on communications, transport and commerce between Berlin and the western zones have been removed. The question of fixing a date for this meeting in itself would present no difficulty. No question regarding Berlin or Germany as a whole will be excluded from the agenda for his [this] meeting which will be decided by the four foreign ministers in the usual manner.

“The representatives on the Security Council of the Governments of the United States, the United Kingdom and France believe that in considering any resolution on this question the Security Council would wish to have in mind the following points:

• “1. The Security Council might recognize that the continuation of restrictions on communications, transport, and commerce between Berlin and the western zones of Germany is an obstacle to any negotiations between the four governments, prevents the settlement of differences between them through the normal channels and is therefore inimical to the maintenance of international peace and security.
• “2. The Security Council might take note of the fact that the three western governments have expressed their willingness to enter into negotiations with the Soviet Government on any outstanding questions regarding Berlin and any other outstanding problems affecting Germany as a whole in the Council of Foreign Ministers or other conferences of representatives of the four powers, as soon as these restrictions have been removed.
• “3. The Security Council might therefore call upon the Government of the Soviet Union to lift the restrictions which have been imposed since March 30, 1948 on communications, transport and commerce between Berlin and the western zones of Germany, and might also call upon the three western governments simultaneously to lift the restrictions recently imposed on transport and commerce to and from the western zones and the Soviet zone of Germany.
• “4. The Security Council might also call upon the four governments to make immediately thereafter every effort by negotiation or other peaceful means to settle outstanding questions regarding Berlin and to arrange for a discussion of any other outstanding problems affecting Germany as a whole.”

Repeated to Berlin as 617 for Eyes Only of Clay and Murphy.

Austin

1. The discussion of the Berlin question at the Security Council had begun October 6 at the 363rd and 364th meetings of the Council. For the records of these discussions, see United Nations, Official Records of the Security Council, Third Year, No. 115. The debate was continued October 15.