Editorial Note
As scheduled, the Moscow Economic Conference opened on April 3, 1952. There were 49 countries represented by 471 delegates, including 13 from the United States business community, attending the Conference. Although the results of the Conference, insofar as they affected the trade control policies of the members of COCOM, were not immediately clear, the French Government was sufficiently concerned about the psychological effects on French businessmen to express itself in favor of a Consultative Group meeting at the earliest moment to discuss the problem. (Telegram 6626 from Paris, April 28, not printed; 398.00 MO/4–2852) By late May, the British Foreign Office had also decided to advocate a Consultative Group meeting in order to discuss not only the Moscow Conference results, but also the possibility of including Japan in COCOM and the Black List question. At that time, the French and British hoped to convene the Consultative Group meeting on June 17. (Telegram 5348 from London, May 23; 460.509/5–2352) The meeting was later postponed to June 24.