Foreign Relations of the United States, 1949, Council of Foreign Ministers; Germany and Austria, Volume III

862.01/10–449: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Embassy in London

secret
priority
niact

Washington, October 4, 1949—8 p.m.

3613.¹ Dept wishes to take opportunity afforded by Acting See’s press conference at 11:00 Wednesday morning to release statement on Sov note re Ger² as proposed in Deptel 3588 Oct 3 (rptd Frankfort as 1912, Moscow as 725, New York as 518³) and Deptel 3752 of Oct 3 to Paris.⁴ We know Acting Sec will be questioned on subj and we believe statement will progressively lose value if delayed. London’s 3966 Oct 4⁵ indicates generally favorable FonOff attitude and we do not believe joint or identic or simultaneous statements are necessary. If either Brit or Fr feel strongly that Sov note shld be replied to by note, we are prepared to send such note subsequent to press statement. Text of proposed statement follows:

“Sov govt in its notes of Oct 1 to the US, Brit, and Fr govts has charged that the three Western powers by their joint action in creating a Ger govt at Bonn have violated the Potsdam Agreement and assumed responsibility for splitting Ger and delaying conclusion of Ger peace treaty.

The true record is clear and quite different. US has a deep conviction of the correctness of Potsdam principles that Ger shld be given econ unity and that its political life should be restored on a democ basis. The Western govts have made most strenuous efforts to carry out these principles. They have been only partially successful because of obstinate Sov opposition to every constructive proposal presented by the Western powers since 1945. Every proposal has foundered on Sov insistence upon unilateral treatment of Eastern Ger which has reduced that area to an oppressive police state. The U.S.S.R., by creating a dictatorial unrepresentative regime, by building up a large militarized force, by strangling free econ life and by looting the natural and industrial resources, has steadily separated its zone from main part of Ger and from Potsdam goals of democracy, peace and prosperity.

The U.S.S.R. was never willing to deal with Ger as a single econ unit. Its reps at Berlin, through their systematic use of veto, gradually reduced Allied Control Council to impotence. They sought to sabotage the democratically elected admin of Greater Berlin and finally set up a rival puppet govt in Berlin. In 1948 they deliberately destroyed the Control Council and four-power Berlin Kommandatura by walking out of these bodies. Sov reps have utilized mtgs of CFM almost exclusively for propagandist ends rather than for a joint effort with the western powers to settle Ger problems.

Faced with these facts, US proposed as early as 1946 the econ unification of US zone with any or all other zones of Ger. As a result, a joint econ admin of US and Brit zones was established in 1947. This was a practical application of Potsdam requirement that Ger be treated as an econ unit. US had had enough of Sov propaganda speeches about Potsdam and of Sov refusal to act. By 1948 the three Western govts were firmly resolved that vigorous joint action on a wide scale must be taken to avert catastrophe. They therefore arrived at a series of agreements that the Ger people shld be able to begin without further delay their progress toward restoration of self-govt and independence and normal conditions of life. They were convinced that if such progress cld not be made in Ger as whole because of Sov opposition, it must at least be undertaken in that major area of Ger for which they were responsible.

The Occ Stat. Agreement on Tripartite Controls, and Stat of HIOOM for Ger are all deliberately designed to restrict the scope of direct powers previously exercised by Western govts. They are deliberately designed to accord far greater independence of action to the Gers than have any previous arrangements. Bonn Constitution itself is democratic instrument freely formulated and freely ratified by reps of Ger people. Fed govt of Ger now established under that constitution has been created by Parliament chosen by free and universal popular elections. By the participation of 80 per cent of electorate in these elections, Ger people have unmistakably demonstrated their support of new republic. No regime which the Sov govt may now contrive for its zone of Ger will be able to claim for itself the same democ basis.

These devels represent no division of Ger by will or act of the Western powers. They constitute, on contrary, the greatest advance toward Ger unification, stability, and prosperity since the end of war. It is purely by volition of Sov govt that Eastern Ger is excluded from benefits of these arrangements.

At the recent mtg of CFM at Paris, agreement was reached for a continuation of efforts to achieve the polit and econ unity of Ger.

US rejects the attempt of Sov govt to impose its interpretation of events and its plan of action upon democ nations of Eur. It will not permit continued obstruction by a single power of all strivings toward democ peace. It will continue its efforts, in association with free peoples of West, including Ger people, to enlarge area of polit stability and freedom, of econ prosperity and of lasting peace and security.”

Brit and Fr embs here have been informed and given copies. London and Paris please approach FonOff immed and seek agreement to our issuing such statement. Unless Dept hears before 11:00 Oct 5 that Brit and Fr are agreeable, statement will not be released. Frankfort will be advised by telecon tomorrow morning of decision (Frankfort’s 2744, Oct 4⁶). If statement cannot be cleared in time, Acting Sec will merely state that note under consideration in consultation with Fr and Brit govts.⁷

Webb

1. Repeated to Paris as 3772, Moscow as 736, Frankfurt as 1936, and New York as 520.
2. Transmitted in telegram 2475, October 1, p. 275.
3. Ante, p. 279.
4. Same as telegram 3588, October 3, p. 279.
5. Not printed, but see footnote 2 to telegram 3588, p. 279.
6. Not printed, but see footnote 3 to telegram 3588, p. 279.
7. In a subsequent exchange of telegrams Bruce and Holmes reported the reluctance of the French and British Foreign Offices to accept responsibility for release of the proposed statement, and it was not issued on October 5 pending decision by the three Foreign Ministers, who were in New York attending the fourth session of the United Nations. (Telegrams 4159, October 5, and 4180, October 6, from Paris; 3983, October 5, from London; 3630, October 5, to London (repeated to Paris as 3794), none printed, 862.01/10–549 and 649)