501.BC/10–1148: Telegram
The United States Representative at the United
Nations (Austin) to the
Acting Secretary of State
top secret
urgent
Paris, October
11, 1948—6 p. m.
Delga 280. For Lovett’s Eyes Only. Bramuglia presented representatives UK,
US and France with following seven questions at separate meetings with
each of them at which the answers were not discussed.1
At meeting at Quai d’Orsay, October 10, representatives of three powers
agreed to answer the questions in memorandum form set forth below. This
memorandum was delivered to Bramuglia by Cadogan Sunday afternoon.
List of questions and answering memorandum follow:
- “1. Could you suggest some idea as to a denomination such
as ‘opening of land corridor’ or another of a similar
nature, with some complementary specifications?
- “2. What suggestions could you make as to the lifting of
the so-called ‘blockade’ in order to carry out a meeting of
the four ministers?
- “3. What do you think about fixing a certain date to carry
out simultaneously the lifting of the so-called ‘blockade’
and a meeting of the four ministers?
- “4. What suggestions could you offer about a simultaneous
lifting of the so-called ‘blockade’ with some other measure
or [sic] financial
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character or of any other
nature, morally compensatory, together with fixing a certain
unterior [sic] date to carry out a
meeting of the four ministers?
- “5. Do you agree with the suggestion that the meeting of
four ministers spoken of in the three prior questions,
should have an ‘agenda’ fixed ‘a priori’?
- “6. What do you think about a meeting of representatives
of the four parties, appointed ‘ad-hoc’ to solve the exsting
difficulties, prior to the one of four ministers?
- “7. What other suggestions could you offer?”
Memorandum
“The representatives on the Security Council of the Governments of the
United States, the United Kingdom, and France have considered the
questions informally submitted to them by Senor Bramuglia. They think it would be
convenient to give their replies the form of the attached
memorandum.
“As regards paragraph 4 of the attached memorandum, it is understood that
the three governments are ready to hold a meeting of the Council Foreign
Ministers as soon as the restrictions on communications, transport and
commerce between Berlin and the western zones have been removed. The
question of fixing a date for this meeting in itself would present no
difficulty. No question regarding Berlin or Germany as a whole will be
excluded from the agenda for his [this] meeting which will be decided by
the four foreign ministers in the usual manner.
“The representatives on the Security Council of the Governments of the
United States, the United Kingdom and France believe that in considering
any resolution on this question the Security Council would wish to have
in mind the following points:
- “1. The Security Council might recognize that the
continuation of restrictions on communications, transport,
and commerce between Berlin and the western zones of Germany
is an obstacle to any negotiations between the four
governments, prevents the settlement of differences between
them through the normal channels and is therefore inimical
to the maintenance of international peace and
security.
- “2. The Security Council might take note of the fact that
the three western governments have expressed their
willingness to enter into negotiations with the Soviet
Government on any outstanding questions regarding Berlin and
any other outstanding problems affecting Germany as a whole
in the Council of Foreign Ministers or other conferences of
representatives of the four powers, as soon as these
restrictions have been removed.
- “3. The Security Council might therefore call upon the
Government of the Soviet Union to lift the restrictions
which have been imposed since March 30, 1948 on
communications, transport and commerce between Berlin and
the western zones of Germany, and might also call upon the
three western governments simultaneously to lift
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the restrictions
recently imposed on transport and commerce to and from the
western zones and the Soviet zone of Germany.
- “4. The Security Council might also call upon the four
governments to make immediately thereafter every effort by
negotiation or other peaceful means to settle outstanding
questions regarding Berlin and to arrange for a discussion
of any other outstanding problems affecting Germany as a
whole.”
Repeated to Berlin as 617 for Eyes Only of Clay and Murphy.
