Editorial Note
Chauvel, Jessup, and Cadogan met in New York on May 2. Working from a draft prepared by Jessup in Washington, they agreed on the text of a letter to Malik suggesting that restrictions imposed since March 1, 1948, be lifted on May 9, 1949, and that the Council of Foreign Ministers meet on May 23. With the letter to Malik they sent the draft of a Four-Power communiqué.
On May 3 Malik agreed to the dates March 1, 1948, and May 23, 1949, but he stated that the Soviet Government preferred May 12 as the date for the removal of restrictions. He offered several amendments to the draft communiqué and suggested that representatives of the four occupying powers meet at his office in New York on May 4 to discuss the points not yet agreed.
[Page 751]The texts of Jessup’s draft, with the revisions made at New York written in, and of Malik’s reply transmitted to Washington in telegram 555, May 3, not printed, are in Department of State file 740.00119 Control (Germany)/5–349.
At their meeting on May 4, the four representatives reached agreement on all the points in question and embodied their agreement in the following communiqué, issued on May 5:
“The Governments of France, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom and the United States have reached the following agreement.
- 1.
- All the restrictions imposed since March 1, 1948, by the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on communications, transportation, and trade between Berlin and the Western zones of Germany and between the Eastern zone and the Western zones will be removed on May 12, 1949.
- 2.
- All the restrictions imposed since March 1, 1948, by the Governments of France, the United Kingdom, and the United States, or any one of them, on communications, transportation, and trade between Berlin and the Eastern zone and between the Western and Eastern zones of Germany will also be removed on May 12, 1949.
- 3.
- Eleven days subsequent to the removal of the restrictions referred to in paragraphs one and two, namely, on May 23, 1949, a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers will be convened in Paris to consider (questions relating to Germany, and problems arising out of the situation in Berlin, including also the question of currency in Berlin.” (CFM Files: Lot M–88: Box 140)
A memorandum of this meeting of May 4, prepared by Jessup, is in file 740.00119 Control (Germany)/3–1549. A photograph of the four representatives at this meeting will be found following page 642.