840.50 Recovery/3–348: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Douglas) to the Secretary of State
us urgent
853. For Lovett from Douglas. Bevin and Strang for the British, Massigli1 for the French, agree that at the forthcoming meeting of the CEEC on March 15, subject to the approval of the participating countries, the bizonal area and the French zone of Germany, respectively, will not be invited to attend at the ministerial level, but to participate in the work of the sub-committee which will be established to make recommendations to a subsequent meeting of the CEEC as to: (a) multilateral agreements; and (b) to the type of continuing organization that may be established. (Deptel 718, March 2.)2
From all indications which come to us in meetings and informal exchange of views, we believe that participants are impressed with the urgency which present events demand. The complete French agreement [Page 387] at yesterday’s meeting to the commencement immediately of the work of a group in Berlin to coordinate the policies between the two areas in western Germany, and their acquiescence to report agreement on all of the items necessary for coordination within thirty days, is evidence of French changes of attitude.