Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, Austrian State Treaty; Summit and Foreign Ministers Meetings, 1955, Volume V

102. Report of the London Working Group¹

London, May 5, 1955

I. INTRODUCTION

Officials of the Governments of France, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America met in London from April 27 to May 5 in order to draw up for their respective Foreign Ministers a report on preparations for convening a conference of the Three Western Powers arid the Soviet Union. Officials of the German Federal Republic attended the meetings for discussions affecting the German problem. Member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation were given an interim report on our work.²

2. We agreed that the next conference with the Soviet Union would open under quite different conditions from those prevailing when the Berlin Conference met a little more than a year ago. With the ratification of the Paris Agreements a new situation exists. The Western Powers now find themselves in a position of greater strength and therefore more favourably placed for reopening talks with the East.

3. We noted that the Soviet Government has sought recently to create an impression of greater flexibility in its foreign policy. Whatever the truth may be, the apparent Soviet readiness, for example, to conclude the Austrian State Treaty, involving the withdrawal of Soviet troops from eastern Austria, is an important step forward from a Soviet position which had seemed immutable.

4. In making our proposals, we have also taken account of the expectation prevailing in the free world that negotiations with the Soviet Union should be reopened by the Three Powers as soon as possible. Having made ratification of the Paris Agreements the preconditions for the reopening of such talks in the most favourable circumstances, we are expected to take a very early initiative.

5. We agreed that the newly achieved solidarity of the Western Powers permits them more easily to envisage an extended series of meetings. Should a first attempt prove abortive, we now have more latitude than before to pursue negotiations with a view to a progressive and step by step solution of the problems at issue between East and West.

6. We accordingly agreed to recommend that:

(a) the Three Western Powers should take the initiative in proposing an early conference with the Soviet Union;

(b) the main aims of the Western Powers at such a conference should be:

(i) by taking the initiative from the outset, to maintain diplomatic pressure upon the Soviet Government, as well as exploiting any flexibility which may exist in their positions,

(ii) by drawing the Soviet Government into discussion on Germany and related problems, to test their real intentions.

7. In the following sections of our report, we deal with the questions of

(a) Approach to the Soviet Government proposing a Four Power Conference.

(b) Possible Soviet Initiatives and Moves in Europe, and

(c) Western Objectives and Tactics.³

Sections (b) and (c) above do not attempt to reach firm conclusions or recommendations, as we felt it would be premature to do so.

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 396.1/5–555. Secret. A cover sheet noted that there were four parts to the report. Only part I is printed here; regarding parts II–IV, see footnote 3 below.
2. Transmitted in telegram 4833 from London, April 30. (Ibid., 396.1/4–3055)
3. For texts of these sections (II, III, and IV), see Documents Diplomatiques Français, 1955, Annexes, Tome 1, pp. 114–124.