840.00/2–1149: Airgram

The Ambassador in the United Kingdom ( Douglas ) to the Secretary of State

secret

A–285. The Permanent Commission of the Brussels Treaty Powers is holding frequent meetings to work out the plans for the establishment of the Council of Europe. Although it is not the intention of the Commission to prepare a final draft of a document to be laid before the conference to be called, it must nevertheless prepare a working paper embodying the principles laid down by the Consultative Council in its meeting of January 27–28, 1949 (see the Embassy’s telegram no. 349 of January 28 [29], 19491). The decisions now being reached [Page 102] in the Commission may therefore be regarded as tentative. Moreover if in any case they depart from the directives of the Consultative Council they will have to be referred back to it.

With all the above cautions a Foreign Office official indicated to one of, the Secretaries of the Embassy, for the information of officials of the United States Government only, that agreement had been reached in the Commission on the following points:

(1)
Strasbourg is to be the seat of the organization.
(2)
Representation in the Assembly is to be on the following numerical basis:

18 representatives each for Great Britain, France, Italy and Germany.

6 each for the Netherlands, Belgium and Sweden.

4 each for Norway, Denmark and Ireland.

3 for Luxembourg.

(Although the French were to have sounded out the Norwegian and the Irish Governments and the British the Danish and the Swedish Governments on February 7, 1949, as to their willingness to participate if invited, the Permanent Commission on February 10, 1949, had received no communications on the subject.)

(3)
Voting in the Committee of Ministers will be by a simple majority on questions of procedure, but by a two-thirds majority on matters of substance and on the question of placing an item on the Assembly agenda. Whether the two-thirds majority is to be of members present and voting or of all members is under discussion.
(4)
The provisions concerning the powers of the Assembly are to follow closely the communiqué contained in the Embassy’s telegram no. 438 of February 5, 1949, 1 p. m.2

Douglas
  1. Not printed.
  2. Not printed.