Office of the Historian

862.60/7–2147

The British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Bevin) to the Secretary of State 31

undated

I am most grateful for your message of 21 July32 about the attitude of M. Bidault to the Bizonal plan for the level of German industry. You will have seen from my earlier message33 that M. Bidault has already approached me about this matter and I have assured him that no further action in the matter of concluding an Anglo-American Agreement on the level of industry or the management of the coal industry will be taken in the immediate future.

I am in entire agreement with you that the attitude of the French Government cannot be disregarded and that our two Governments should make a concerted communication to the French Government to reassure them.

I am considering carefully what I think we should say to the French Government on this matter in the light of what you yourself suggest at the end of your message, and I will let you know my Government’s views within the next 48 hours.

  1. The source text was transmitted in telegram 3976, July 21, from London, not printed. This message was subsequently delivered to the Secretary of State by British Chargé Balfour in a letter dated July 22, not printed.↩
  2. Ante, p. 997.↩
  3. Supra.↩