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

740.00119 EW/3–348: Telegram

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

top secret   urgent
niact

London, March 3, 1948—8 p. m.

850. For Lovett from Douglas. Embtel 849, March 3.¹

1. I had a long conversation with Bevin today, and so to both the first and second parts of our reparations proposals, I advanced the same arguments which had been advanced last night to Strang et al.

2. I added that as to the first, that is to say delivery of reparations to the Soviet, Congress held such strong views that it might attach either in the European authorization act or in the appropriations, drastic limitations.

3. In regard to delivery of reparations to the Soviet in accordance with our proposals, he wondered whether this might lead to a termination of the quadripartite association in Berlin and to an effort on the part of the Soviet to drive us out.

4. I replied that I thought this most unlikely, for it would, in effect, constitute an openly hostile act which I thought the Soviet would be reluctant to take, and that moreover, we should not be too much hampered and fettered by apprehensions about Soviet retaliation.

5. Bevin promised to review the matter and discuss it with me again, probably tomorrow or the next day.

Douglas

1. Supra.