740.00119 Control (Germany)/5–2949
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Director of the Office of European Affairs (Hickerson)
| Participants: | Sir Oliver Franks, British Ambassador |
| The Secretary of State | |
| Mr. John D. Hickerson, Director for European Affairs |
During his conversation with the Secretary at 12 noon today on a number of other topics, Sir Oliver Franks referred to a telegram which he had received yesterday from Mr. Bevin urging that the three Military Governors in their meeting with the German political leaders tomorrow impress upon the Germans the desirability of proceeding rapidly with their steps to form a government and not relax their efforts because of the reports of a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers on Germany.1 Sir Oliver said that Hoyer-Millar had taken up this telegram with Mr. Hickerson yesterday2 and that the State Department had asked the Department of the Army to send a message in this general sense to General Clay and that this had been done. He said that General Clay has replied that in his opinion it would not be a good idea for the three Military Governors to take this action with the German political leaders unless they find during the course of the conversation that the Germans are wavering and that such action is necessary. He said that he was informed that General Clay had replied that in his opinion German leaders fully realize the necessity of going straight ahead and that it might have an adverse effect if the three Military Governors, in these circumstances, raised this matter gratuitously.
Sir Oliver said that he would like very much to send a telegram to the Foreign Office this afternoon to reassure Mr. Bevin on this point to which he believed Mr. Bevin attached considerable importance. He said that there was a good bit to be said in his opinion for General Clay’s views and that it would be sufficient for his purposes if he could tell Mr. Bevin that the State Department had considered General Clay’s telegram and that they agreed with him that it would be better for the three Military Governors to act in this matter only if after they talked to the German leaders they believed that it is desirable.
[Page 265]The Secretary referred to his speech in New York last night3 in which he had stated that the steps to forming a German Government must proceed on schedule and not be interrupted in any way because of a possible meeting of a Council of Foreign Ministers. He went on to say that it seemed to him that this went some distance toward accomplishing the end which Mr. Bevin had in mind. Sir Oliver agreed that this was correct.
It was agreed that I would discuss this matter with the Office of German and Austrian Affairs and get word to the British Embassy which would enable them to send a telegram to the Foreign Office this afternoon. I discussed the matter immediately after leaving the Secretary’s office with Colonel Byroade. We agreed that I would give the following message orally to the British Embassy as soon as possible:
We believe that this is a matter of tactics which should be dealt with in the discretion of the Military Governors on the spot in Germany. We share General Clay’s views that if in their talks with the German leaders tomorrow it is clear that the Germans are going straight ahead with their preparations, it would probably be preferable for the Military Governors not to take any special action along the lines of the British suggestion. We think that Secretary Acheson’s speech last night in New York re-inforces this view. If the Military Governors feel after talking to the Germans that action along lines of Mr. Bevin’s suggestion is desirable, they should, of course, take such action and General Clay has stated that he is prepared in those circumstances to do so.
I gave this message to Mr. Denis Allen when I saw him at luncheon at 1 p. m. today. He expressed appreciation and said that the Embassy would get off a telegram at once along these lines.
- For documentation relating to the preparations for and deliberations of the Sixth Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers in Paris, May 23–June 20, 1949, see pp. 856 ff.↩
- No record of Hoyer-Millar’s conversation with Hickerson has been found in Department of State files.↩
- For the full text of Secretary Acheson’s speech in New York, April 28, see Germany 1947–1949, p. 16.↩