Editorial Note
In point 3 of their Joint Declaration on Germany on May 14, the Foreign Ministers of France, the United Kingdom, and the United States agreed to establish an Intergovernmental Study Group on Germany (ISG or ISGG) to review the Occupation Statute and make recommendations on eliminating inconveniences in the countries concerned arising from the continuation of a state of war. The terms of reference for this group, set forth in MIN/TRI/P/12 Final, dated May 22, were to examine and report on the following questions:
- “1. Review of the Occupation Statute.
- 2. The status of pre-war treaty obligations of the former German Reich.
- 3. Plan for handling outstanding claims against Germany and Germans (including pre-war and post-war claims as well as those arising [Page 738] out of the war) and other economic and legal issues arising out of the war.
- 4. Termination of the State of War.
- 5. Implementation of Articles 18 and 19 Ruhr Agreement.
- 6. Definition of German cooperation required to warrant relinquishment of controls.
- 7. Such other problems as may be referred from time to time.”
In performing its task the ISG was to be guided by two principles: “1. The Ministerial decisions on policy towards Germany. 2. The political importance of finding a method by which the Federal Government may assume in a suitable proportion the obligations of the former German Reich, together with any connected rights.” For the full text of the Joint Declaration on Germany, see MIN/TRI/P/13, May 7, volume III, page 1086; a copy of the terms of reference for the ISG is in file 396.1–ISG/6–250.