A. Exchanges of notes among the Four Powers, and related activities, November 1950–March 1951

Editorial Note

On November 3, 1950, the Soviet Government presented notes to the American, British, and French Embassies in Moscow proposing a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers to consider the question of fulfillment of the clauses of the Potsdam Agreement regarding the demilitarization of Germany. In their replies of December 22, the three Western powers proposed instead a meeting of representatives of the four Governments to discuss a wider range of questions as a basis for a subsequent meeting of the Foreign Ministers. The texts of the notes exchanged by the Soviet Union and the United States are printed in Foreign Relations, 1950, volume IV, pages 902 ff., as well as in the Department of State Bulletin, January 1, 1951, pages 11–12. The note of December 22 is also printed in American Foreign Policy, 1950–1955: Basic Documents, volume II, pages 1784–1786.