Foreign Relations of the United States, 1947, Council of Foreign Ministers; Germany and Austria, Volume II

740.00119 Council/2–1247: Telegram

The United States Deputy for Germany at the Council of Foreign Ministers ( Murphy ) to the Secretary of State ⁵⁰

secret
urgent

London , February 12, 1947—5 p.m.

957. Delsec 1222 from Murphy. At February 11 meeting,⁵¹ deputies for Germany first considered problem of method for drafting report to CFM on views of allied governments.

Drafting committee referred to deputies following disagreement re preparation of Part II A of outline (Delsec 1193, February 7⁵²):

Soviet delegate held that views of allied governments should be set out consecutively under each of headings in this section, and principally by means of quotations from memoranda of these governments. US and British delegates preferred compile under each heading of Part II A single integrated report giving general synopsis of views of allied governments on subject in question. French delegate was willing accept either method.

In explaining US position, I stated that mechanical exposition of quotations from memoranda would not, in our opinion, fulfill Department’s instructions to submit a “report”. Balanced integrated evaluation of views of other allies would best facilitate and promote work of the Ministers. Soviet deputy insisted that Foreign Ministers desire receive views of allied governments and not statements about these views and that deputies were not instructed to give analysis and make proposals re views of allied governments. I pointed out that ACA authorities, operating under a similar instruction, are not interpreting their instructions so rigidly and are including recommendations.

British deputy declared that he did not regard CFM instructions as calling upon deputies to evaluate or pass judgment upon substance of views expressed by allied governments, but that he did believe that report framed along integrated lines would facilitate study of documents by Foreign Ministers. He expressed readiness, however, to accept French suggestion that report be drawn up under various headings, country by country, proceed by way of summary and, if necessary, including key citations. In view of British, French and Soviet alignment against USDel on this issue, I agreed to this method for report, reserving right to include in report under each heading whatever deemed desirable by USDel.

It was also agreed, following Soviet suggestion, that views of countries should be given under each heading in alphabetical order rather than in any systematic order based on contents. Hence I fear that final quadripartite report may be for most part thoughtless recitation of diverse views. We will proceed independently, however, to prepare a coherent report on allied views for Secretary’s use at Moscow.⁵³

Separate telegram follows on discussion of US proposal on procedure.⁵⁴

Repeated Paris 105; Berlin 103; Moscow 36.

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Murphy

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50. Telegram 743, Secdel 1295, February 13, 1947, to London, not printed, replied to this message in part as follows:

    “We agree your views on form and substance of deputies’ report to CFM on views other Allied Govts. We also approve your not pressing matter, particularly as it is desirable at this stage to give Gousev opportunity concentrate on Austrian treaty.” (740.00119 Council/2–1247)

51. This was the 18th Meeting of the Deputies for Germany.
52. The establishment of a committee to draft the report of the Deputies is described in the penultimate paragraph of telegram 616, Delsec 1153, January 28, from London, not printed. The first report of the Drafting Committee setting forth an outline of the proposed Report, CFM(D) (47) (G)44, February 4, 1947, not printed, was approved with minor amendations at the 15th Meeting of the Deputies for Germany, February 6, 1947. The telegram under reference here, which is not printed, reported on the content of that outline of the Report.
53. For the text of the Report of the Deputies for Germany to the Council of Foreign Ministers, February 25, 1947, see p. 40. For Murphy’s report to the Secretary of State, March 1, 1947, see p. 109.
54. The United States proposal under reference here was document CFM(D) (47) (G)53, February 10, 1947, p. 24. Telegram 936, Delsec 1221, February 12, 1947, from London, is not printed, but see footnote 49, p. 24.