Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1945, European Advisory Commission, Austria, Germany, Volume III

740.00119 EW/6–645

The Assistant Secretary of State (Clayton) to the British Minister (Makins)

Washington, June 6, 1945.

Dear Mr. Makins: Following our conversation on June 2,²⁹ the question of making another approach to the Soviet Government regarding the matter of French representation on the Reparation Commission was again considered in the Department. We have concluded that the Soviet Government probably would not yield on this issue at present, and that a reopening of the question before the Reparation Commission meets, while failing to accomplish the desired result, might adversely affect other discussions now in progress. Although we have decided, therefore, that it would be unwise to ask our Ambassador in Moscow to make representations in favor of French participation before the Reparation Commission meets, we have asked Mr. Pauley to take up the matter at an early stage in the reparation talks.³⁰

Yours sincerely,

W. L. Clayton

[On June 11, the United States Delegation to the Allied Conference on Reparations arrived in Moscow and remained there until July 14. Since, during the Moscow sessions, no genuine tripartite agreement was reached, it was decided to refer the matter for ultimate disposition to the meetings of the heads of government of the United States, United Kingdom, and Soviet Union, which took place at Potsdam, July 17 to August 2. For documentation during this period concerning German reparations, see Foreign Relations, The Conference of Berlin (The Potsdam Conference), 1945, volume I, pages 507–554. For further references to material on the subject, see Index, ibid., pages 1067–1068.

On July 14, Messrs. Pauley and Lubin, accompanied by some of the staff, proceeded to Berlin to assist in the negotiations there. For documentation, see ibid., volume II, pages 830–949, and for further references, see Index, pages 1617–1618.]

29. Presumably reference is to a conversation which took place on June 1; memorandum of conversation on that date by Mr. Despres not printed; no record of a conference on June 2 has been found in Department files.
30. Telegram 1250, June 7, 7 p.m., to Moscow, informed Ambassador Harriman that “according to information received today from the British Embassy, their Ambassador in Moscow has been instructed to concert with you in a renewed approach to the Soviet Government on this matter….” (740.00119EW/6–745)