396.1 BE/1–1454: Telegram

No. 335
The Assistant United States High Commissioner for Germany (Parkman) to the Office of the United States High Commissioner for Germany, at Bonn1
confidential
niact

853. Fourth meeting with Dengin re site for Foreign Ministers conference ended without agreement, after lasting from 1030 January 13 to 0100 January 14.2 In view of unsatisfactory and uncompromising character of position maintained by Soviet Representative throughout long meeting, three Western Commandants at end of session declined fix definite date for next meeting; Commandants also refused accept noncommittal quadripartite communiqué proposed by Dengin and have issued tripartitely brief statement to press reporting that no progress has been made over four meetings in selecting site for conference or in agreeing on other necessary technical preparations and that date for next meeting of High Commissioners representatives has not been fixed.

Only new “proposal” advanced by Dengin on site issue today was following: First meeting in ACA building and second in either Karlshorst or “Unter den Linden building” (Dengin said Soviets would much prefer latter building but would not insist on it); after first two meetings question of where following meetings were to be held should be left for Foreign Ministers to decide themselves. Commandants spent some time attacking this proposal in turn, pointing out that it was really no proposal at all, that it fulfilled only small portion of mission with which four governments and High Commissioners had charged their Berlin representatives, that it seemed to be merely a variation of Dengin’s original proposal for alternating meetings in east and west sectors, and that it appeared frivolous and even preposterous in any event for him to suggest that four Foreign Ministers should spend many wearying hours (as we all had) in haggling over housekeeping details when purpose of their conference was obviously to settle pressing world problems.

General Timberman then made following specific proposal, on basis of his assumption that each of four Foreign Ministers would chair meetings of conference in rotation: first meeting ACA building, second meeting Karlshorst, and thereafter site for each meeting [Page 766] to be selected by chairman of that particular meeting. Dengin claimed that proposal was not new since it had in effect been made by French Commandant in very first meeting on January 7;3 he also said he had repeatedly stated question of chairmanship was beyond his competence and one for Foreign Ministers themselves to decide. Prolonged discussion elicited from Dengin nothing but variations on this theme, even when French Commandant submitted alternative formula substituting “in Soviet sector” for Karlshorst as site second meeting. Again Dengin turned deaf ear to arguments re equality of four Foreign Ministers and stolidly reiterated that all questions pertaining to chairmanship were for Foreign Ministers and not him to decide. He also declined Commandants’ repeated invitations to make new proposal.

Since it had become abundantly clear that character of Dengin’s instructions did not permit him advance any further, General Timberman finally proposed adjourn meeting on ground it was evident after more than forty hours of discussion that Dengin did not have necessary authority to negotiate and to reach reasonable solution of our problem; he said he would have to refer to his government for instructions, British and French Commandants stated they also saw no purpose in continuing meeting and in view of attitude of Soviet Representative had no alternative but to refer entire matter to their governments. Dengin appeared slightly upset over Commandants’ refusal fix date for next meeting or to agree on quadripartite press release. He expressed willingness to discuss other technical arrangements and proposed appointment quadripartite experts for security and communications; Commandants replied that for reasons already stated they would await instructions from their governments before proceeding further.

Parkman
  1. Repeated to Paris, London, Moscow, and Washington; the source text is the copy in Department of State files.
  2. Verbatim minutes of this meeting are in CFM files, lot M 88, box 167, “Quadripartite Meeting of the Berlin Commandants”.
  3. See telegram 720, Document 327.