Foreign Relations of the United States, 1948, Germany and Austria, Volume II

CFM Files: Lot M–88: Box 118: File—TRI Documents

Paper Agreed Upon by the London Conference on Germany¹

secret

TRI/18 (Final) (Amendment)

Protection of Foreign Interests

In connexion with the Report of Berlin Working Party No. 6:²—

(1) The Conference recommends that the principle of non-discrimination against Foreign interests in Germany be reaffirmed and that each Government should promptly study the problem of safeguarding foreign interests in order that there may be subsequently established as close to September 1st as possible an inter-governmental group to review the question and make recommendations to their Governments.

(2) The Conference agrees that the use of the term “foreign interests” in paragraph 1 above shall not be held to imply that reciprocity of treatment from the foreign countries concerned is not required.

(3) The Conference recommends that the three Military Governors should afford the representatives of the Benelux countries, to the extent consistent with the maintenance of secrecy regarding monetary reform, opportunity to express their views before any decisions are taken affecting their property interests in Germany.

London, 31st May, 1948.

1. The Conference reached final agreement on this paper at a meeting on the afternoon of May 30 after the insertion of the new paragraph 2. Tentative agreement on an earlier version of the paper had been reached by the Conference at an informal meeting on May 12 (see telegram 2108, Delsec 1733, May 13, from London, p. 245).

   This paper was attached as Annex E to the Report of the London Conference on Germany, p. 309.

2. The final report of Working Party No. 6 of the Military Governors’ Conference at Berlin is not printed, but a summary is contained in telegram 845, April 13, from Berlin, p. 177.