501.BC/10–2748: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Caffery) to the Acting Secretary of State
urgent
niact
Delga 509. For Lovett from Bohlen (Eyes Only). At meeting at 4 o’clock today the three ministers decided that at present their joint policy in regard to Berlin matter would be to leave it on the agenda of the Security Council and to take no initiative on their part in regard to this matter in the UN which might be interpreted in any way as a weakening in our present position.1
There was general agreement that we had gone to the absolute limit in accepting the terms of the resolution vetoed by the Soviets and we should therefore carefully refrain from creating any impression in the minds of the neutrals that we would be prepared to go beyond its terms in any attempt to find a solution acceptable to the Soviets. On the other hand, it was recognized that since the Council still has the question before it, we must be prepared for further suggestions of one kind or another from the six neutrals.
It was agreed that our three representatives on the Security Council would maintain informal but close contact with each other in order to correlate our attitudes towards any such suggestions.
It was generally agreed that it would be a mistake at this stage to attempt to get the matter out of the Security Council and into the General Assembly. Without so stating, the communiqué issued at the close of the meeting,2 which you will have seen, makes it clear that it is not our intention to put it into the General Assembly since it refers to the fact that the question remains on the agenda of the Council.
We shall not take any initiative in proposing any plan of our own at this stage, but will be developing our ideas in relation to possible contingencies, including your suggestion concerning a neutral commission, in order that we may be prepared in case the six neutral members of the Council come forward with any proposals.
Sent Department as Delga 509; repeated London as 1126; Berlin as 663. Department please pass Moscow 567. [Bohlen.]
- Before this meeting Marshall, Bohlen and Jessup had met with Bevin, Cadogan, Roberts and Dean to discuss the next step in the Berlin case. They agreed that the proper procedure was to stand pat, but at the same time indicate that since the matter remained on the Security Council agenda, they still accepted the resolution which the Russians had vetoed. Memorandum of conversation by Bohlen, October 27, not printed (862.00/10–2738).↩
- Regarding the communiqué or joint statement under reference here, issued on October 27, see the editorial note, p. 1233.↩