Editorial Note
On November 8, Mr. Acheson issued a statement to the press (text in Department of State Bulletin, November 20, 1950, page 818) on the United States position regarding the recent Soviet proposal for a Four-Power meeting on Germany; related documentation is scheduled for publication in volume IV. The statement observed that Germany was not a problem which could be isolated from the context of similar areas of tension elsewhere, but no specific mention was made of Korea. The Department of State had considered including in the November 8 statement a suggestion that the Four-Power talks be expanded to cover other areas of international tension such as Korea and Indochina, but Foreign Minister Bevin advised deletion of any mention of Korea and Indochina on the grounds (1) that it might give the Soviet Union the impression that these were the only problems besides Germany which the Western Powers wished to consider, and (2) that the Western Powers had thus far publicly refrained from accusing the Soviet Union of being behind the events in Korea and Indochina. (Telegram 2369, November 6, to London and telegram 2666, November 7, from London; 396.1/11–650, 11–750)