740.00119 Council/3–248: Telegram

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

secret

832. Delsec 1600. Following is text of Working Committee to consider relationship of Western Germany under the occupying powers to ERP (see Delsec 1599) which was today approved by US, UK and French representatives:1

For additional documentation regarding the role of representatives from the U.S.–U.K. bizonal area of Germany and from the French zone of occupation in the work of the Council of European Economic Cooperation, see volume iii .

[Page 117]

The Committee had before them a summary of the statement made by the United States delegate at the Plenary Session on 24 February and took note of the statement therein that the United States government was not in a position to make definite commitments on the subject of the European recovery programme at the present stage. Subject to this, and subject to any decisions which may be taken under item (F) of the agenda affecting the present zonal organization of Western Germany, the members of the committee agree to recommend to their respective delegation that the following guiding principles should be agreed:

(1)
The Combined Zone (US/UK) and the French zone should each be treated as an independent participating area.
(2)
Each of them should be signatories of the multilateral agreement and each of them should sign a bilateral agreement with the United States Government.
(3)
The two areas should each participate fully in the activities of any continuing organization set up by the participants in the European Recovery Programme, including where appropriate the work of any committees, study groups, or other bodies which may be set up to implement the objects of the European Recovery Programme.
(4)
Intergovernmental agreements relating to the European Recovery Programme should be signed in respect of each area by or on behalf of the occupation authorities in that area.
(5)
Each of the two areas should be represented on intergovernmental bodies established for ERP purposes by appropriate allied officials representing the occupation authorities in such areas. The occupation authorities may be expected to use German advisors and experts in the various continuing joint activities of the participants in the European Recovery Programme.
(6)
Close co-operation should be established among the governments of the occupying powers and among the occupation authorities in Western Germany in all matters arising out of the European Recovery Programme in relation to Western Germany. Such co-operation is essential if Western Germany is to make its full and proper contribution to European recovery.

Sent to Department as 832; repeated to USPolAd as 46, Paris as 82.

Douglas
  1. The decision to create the Working Committee under reference here was made by the Conference at its 2nd Meeting, February 24; see telegram 712, February 25, from London, p. 87. Members of the Committee were: for the United States—Edwin M. Martin; for the United Kingdom—John W. Nicholls; for France—François Valery. The Committee’s report was considered and approved by the Conference at its 8th Meeting, March 2; for the report of that meeting, see telegram 829, Delsec 1599, March 2, from London, p. 114.