Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Berlin Crisis, 1958–1959, Volume VIII

282. Telegram From the Delegation to the Western Foreign Ministers Meeting to the Department of State ⁰

Paris, April 30, 1959, 6 p.m.

Secto 16. Dept pass Defense. At meeting morning April 30, Foreign Ministers concluded their work subject to approval of drafting as detailed below later this evening and issued communiqué.¹ The Secretary, Lloyd, and Brentano will brief Spaak 6:00 p.m. tonight,² Couve being occupied with Parliament. Agreed Couve would present oral report (being developed by Working Group) to NAC on date to be agreed with Spaak, probably Saturday.³

Following is summary of action taken and highlights of discussion:

1. Adopted Working Group redrafts of certain paras of phased plan⁴ in accordance with instructions from Foreign Ministers resulting from yesterday’s meetings. Discussion brought out the following:

(A) In para 16, Brentano wished to include reference to 1957 disarmament proposals area but finally agreed to identify as “such geographical areas throughout the world as may be agreed by the four powers and other states concerned”. Latter was suggested by Lloyd who said would have to disagree if language were to be limited to 1957 disarmament proposals.

(B) In discussion of para 25, Lloyd opposed reference to line of demarcation between reunified Germany and EE countries in determining area of foreign forces balance on ground this subject to 1955 criticism that it assumed German membership in NATO. To meet this problem as well as eliminate possibility of continued stationing of Soviet forces in Germany after reunification and before entry into force of peace treaty, Couve indicated willingness to drop any reference to limitations on foreign forces prior to peace treaty. The Secretary suggested formula providing that after peace treaty no foreign forces would be stationed in zone without consent of host country and that after states had expressed desires in this respect, there could be discussions on limitations of foreign forces on both sides of line of demarcation between reunified Germany and EE. Working Group to redraft para 25 in light of discussion for approval this evening.

2. Adopted revised draft statement of principles.⁵

3. Adopted Berlin proposal for inclusion in stage I in accordance with Ministers directions of yesterday (alternative A with subparas (II) and (III) deleted).⁶

4. Adopted Working Group paper on tactics, reflecting yesterday’s decisions. Agreed this would be guide to delegations but saw no need to revise tactics annex of Working Group report which in any case expressed in alternatives.

5. Agreed to make no statements to press between today’s communiqué and May 11.

6. Adopted and released communiqué based on U.S. draft.⁷

Herter

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 396.1–PA/4–3059. Secret; Limit Distribution, Repeated to London, Bonn, Moscow, and Berlin.
1. For text of this communiqué, see American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1959, p. 643.
2. A memorandum of the Foreign Ministers’ conversation with Spaak, USDel/MC/10, in which the Secretary General was told the results of the meetings, is in Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 64 D 560, CF 1276.
3. Couve de Murville reported to the North Atlantic Council on Saturday, May 2. In reporting on the briefing and the following discussion, Burgess commented that the “Council appeared extremely satisfied with report and with general approach to Geneva meeting. (Polto 3149 from Paris, May 2; ibid., Central Files, 396.1–PA/5–259)
4. For text of the phased plan as agreed by the Foreign Ministers and presented to the Foreign Ministers Conference on May 14, see Documents on Germany, 1944–1985, pages 624–629, or Foreign Ministers Meeting, pp. 55–60.
5. A copy of this paper is in the final report of the Working Group as approved by the Foreign Ministers. (Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 64 D 560, CF 1276)
6. The Berlin proposal was included in the report mentioned in footnote 3 above.
7. At the final quadripartite meeting at 5 p.m. the Foreign Ministers revised the language of paragraph 24 of the phased plan at Brentano’s insistence. A memorandum of the conversation at this final meeting, USDel/MC/9, is in Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 64 D 560, CF 1276.