Foreign Relations of the United States, 1948, Eastern Europe; The Soviet Union, Volume IV

840.811/9–1648

Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State for Transportation and Communications (Norton) to the Under Secretary of State (Lovett)

secret

[Washington,] October 14, 1948.

In my previous memorandum of September 16, same subject,¹ I recommended a program of follow-up activities on the Danube Conference. Since then the following actions have been taken on the items referred to in my memorandum:

1. Suggest to all interested countries that formed protest be lodged with USSR and Satellites that the Belgrade Convention is null and void and publication of such notice.

Both the French and British have been advised of our thoughts on this subject and have conveyed them to their respective foreign offices. We have not yet received an expression of opinion from them. A draft of the U.S. protest note has been prepared in TRC and has been circulated to all interested divisions for comments. Most of the divisions have suggested some changes and when all comments are in, a final version of the note will be prepared for your approval.² It is hoped to deliver this note within the week.

2. Use of any opportunity in U.N. or other international bodies to refer to the Danube Conference criticising its conduct and its results.

The proposed text of a speech and other material has been sent to Willard Thorp at the U.N. with the suggestion that it be used in the course of the proceedings there.³ We have not yet been informed whether or under what circumstances Thorp intends to use this material.

3. To advise the British and French that the United States will support a move on their part to obtain an advisory opinion from the International Court.

French and British have been so advised. However, from our discussions with the British Embassy in Washington, it appears as though the foreign office is not certain whether it will be possible to bring this question before the Court. Explorations on this question are still underway. The British Embassy in Washington has been informed by their Paris Embassy that the French Foreign Office has expressed general agreement with our proposals. However, they agree that there are technical difficulties in bringing this proposal before the International Court. Their inclination is to try the Transport Subcommittee of ECOSOC. We have, however, received no direct response from the French here in Washington.

4. U.S. to take the initiative in raising the Danube issue at a CFM meeting on the German and Austrian Peace Treaties.

Since a CFM meeting on these treaties is still remote, no action is contemplated at this time.

5. Information activities to stir up Danube Satellite States to regret the Belgrade Conference results.

Information has been made available to INP and the Voice of America is now preparing such material for use over their facilities.

6. Encourage American occupation authorities in Germany and Austria to offer reciprocal shipping and trade arrangements with the Satellites and instruct them not to deal with the Commission or otherwise recognize the Convention.

We are planning to authorize Legation, Vienna to concur in the opening of negotiations for bilateral reciprocal agreements with the concurrence of ECA, OMGUS and USFA. At the same time all of these groups will be alerted to the need of avoiding recognition of the Soviet Convention, Commission or any of its agencies.

7. Advising Italians, Belgians and Greeks of our plans and reaffirming our support of their rights on the Danube.

Action on this matter has been held up until we can receive an expression of opinion from the French and the British and after our protest note has been approved.

8. Advise ECA of our policy and request their cooperation.

No action has been taken on this question pending the approval of our protest note.

As a further point in our educational campaign and maintenance of interest in the Danube, the State Department Bulletin is planning the publication in an early issue of an analytical article on the Danube Conference, as well as the text of the American draft convention. The formal protests of French, British, Austrians, Belgians, Italians and Greeks will also be published.

We have received from Embassy, Moscow; Legation, Sofia; Legation, Bucharest; Embassy, London, and Legation, Vienna expressions of agreement on the advisability of putting this program into effect. Both London and Bucharest also emphasized the importance of an intensive Voice of America program to bring home to the riparian states the economic and political losses resulting from Soviet control of the Danube, as well as infringement of their sovereignty.

It should be possible to make considerable progress with most of these points when action on our protest note is completed and we have a definite reaction from the French and the British.

Garrison Norton

1. Not found in Department files; see, however, the circular telegram of September 30, 1948, supra.
2. See the revised draft of proposed note attached to the memorandum of November 17, 1948, by John W. Tuthill, adviser in the Office of Transport and Communications, p. 729.
3. Assistant Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Willard L. Thorp was United States alternate representative at the United Nations General Assembly; see footnote 3, p. 732.