Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Germany and Austria, Volume VII, Part 1

396.1 BE/2–354: Telegram

No. 406
The United States Delegation at the Berlin Conference to the Department of State¹

confidential priority

Berlin, February 3, 1954—1 p.m.

Secto 74. Department pass OSD. Summary second portion Foreign Ministers eighth meeting February follows:²

After recess Eden made succinct statement³ in which he summarily rejected Molotov proposals re Germany advanced thus far and pressed for more specific exposition of Soviet views on Eden plan for German reunification by early free elections.⁴ Molotov indicated he would make detailed statement tomorrow and also submit proposals on elections issue.

Eden said at outset he wished to register deep disappointment over Molotov’s speech yesterday.⁵ Despite acknowledged pressing need for reunification of Germany in interests European stability and despite fact all four Ministers had agreed on principle that new all-German government must result from free elections, Molotov still refused to deal with realities of free elections problem and was merely marking time on position taken by Soviets two years ago. Eden was disappointed, he said, that Molotov had made only passing reference to carefully worked out Eden plan for early all-German elections; despite Molotov’s lip-service to principle of free elections it was obvious that all his suggestions were designed to delay them as long as he could, possibly because he was fearful of outcome of free elections.

Eden was also strongly critical of meager role envisaged by Molotov for freely elected all-German government with respect to peace treaty, stating that apparently Molotov proposed that new truly representative government would be nothing more than “rubber stamp” empowered merely to sign a treaty negotiated by someone else. Eden next took issue with Molotov’s remarks re extent of popular support enjoyed by two existing German regimes and asserted true situation appeared exactly the opposite, in particular with regard to Molotov’s claim East German Government had been elected by “crushing majority;” he said he thought word “crushing” in this context might well be employed in an entirely different sense.

Eden once more emphasized that first essential step was early free all-German elections and that until these were held and free all-German government had been formed it was pointless to engage in discussion of terms of peace treaty. Stressing that he wished to get discussion back on main track, he said Molotov had thus far indicated only preliminary views on Eden plan and that not until he had commented in detail on plan as a whole would it be possible to tell whether conference could make any further progress on German problem.

Molotov declined opportunity to make statement, pleading lateness of hour. He stated merely that he would have something to say tomorrow re statements of his three colleagues, adding in specific reply to Eden that he intended to speak at greater length on elections problem and to submit proposals on that score.

Meeting adjourned at 1855 hours.

1. Repeated to London, Paris, Bonn, Moscow, and Vienna.
2. For a record of the first part of the eighth meeting, see Secto 73, supra.
3. For Eden’s statement, circulated as FPM(54)28, see Cmd. 9080, pp. 71–73, or Berlin Discussions, pp. 88–90.
4. For this plan, see FPM(54)17, Document 510.
5. For a summary of Molotov’s speech at the seventh plenary meeting, see Secto 66, Document 399.