396.1 PA/10–2054
Telegraphic Summary by the United States Delegation1
At Four-Power meeting of Foreign Ministers to consider report of Bonn Working Group,2 Eden elected chairman and proposed signing ceremony at 2:45 pm Saturday at Quai d’Orsay. Noted agreement reached by Working Party as of today on all subjects except paras 2 and 4 re stationing of troops and additional sentence Germans wished to add to letter from Chancellor re demilitarization controls annex b(1). Agreement reached on review clause (article 10 relations convention) by insertion phrase “being reached with the participation or consent of the states parties to this convention” after words “or an international understanding.”
Re deconcentration (article 10 settlement convention) Adenauer made statement for record to effect that if difficulties arose re disposition of securities which were not solvable within framework present agreement, he would request discussion with the other Foreign Ministers with view to finding solution. Statement noted by UK, US, and French.
Adenauer states willingness forego proposed additional sentence in demilitarization letter annex B(1) stipulating that review at end of year would have effect of excluding civilian research and production from disarmament controls, provided it clearly understood that review would cover this point. Assurances given by UK, US and French and noted in record.
Re stationing troops (articles 2 and 4) Eden and Mendes-France supported allied text in Working Party report on grounds of possible prejudice vis-à-vis Soviets if Allies renounced right as distinct from qualifying exercise of right. Adenauer stressed inconsistency of granting sovereignty while retaining right station troops anywhere in Federal [Page 1409] Republic. Pointed to language of Allied declaration June 5, 19453 which speaks of right to station troops in any or all parts of Germany as showing divisibility of right.
Secretary stated that provided rights re Berlin were covered, as they appeared to be in article 2, US inclined favour German proposal of contractual grant as source of right station troops in Federal Republic rather than retention occupation right. Cited advantages Japanese example of basing rights on grant ratified by Diet and clean break with occupation for purposes disproving communist propaganda that treaty amounted merely to occupation in another form. Adenauer quickly associated himself with Secretary’s views, but in face continued UK and French reservation agreed on compromise formula suggested by US.
Compromise formula envisages retention article 2 and article 4(1) as they stand. Allied text of article 4(2) modified to read “forces of same nationality and effective strength as at that time may be stationed” etc. Add new sentence based on German (2) to effect “in view of status accorded to Federal Republic in article 1(2) of relations convention and in view fact that three powers do not desire exercise right station forces in Federal Republic except in full accord with Federal Republic, there will be separate convention dealing with status forces in Federal territory”.
Working Group will revise text accordingly tonight and text separate convention (annex D of report) for consideration by Ministers Thursday 3 p.m.4 Working Group also considering revised draft of emergency letter annex B(a) submitted by US, and draft letter from Three Powers clarifying words “similar powers” in article 5 for consideration tomorrow.
- Transmitted to the Department of State in telegram Secto 2 and repeated to Bonn and London. A 35-page verbatim record of this meeting is in the Conference files, lot 60 D 627, CF 378. The list of principal participants, not provided in the source text, was taken from the verbatim record.↩
- For the text of the Report by the Bonn Working Group on the Termination of the Occupation Regime in the Federal Republic of Germany, see p. 1426.↩
- For information concerning the Declaration of June 5, 1945, see Foreign Relations, 1945, vol. iii, pp. 326–327; for the text of the Declaration, see Treaties and Other International Acts Series (TIAS) No, 1520, or 60 Stat. (pt. 2) 1649.↩
- In telegram Secto 3, Oct. 21, Dulles informed the Department of State that the four Foreign Ministers tentatively agreed to include contractual agreements relating to the stationing of foreign forces in Germany in a separate convention which was in the process of being drafted. It was proposed that this convention would be signed at the same time as the protocol on the termination of occupation. Dulles requested full powers from the President to sign this convention. Dulles was informed that he was so empowered in telegram Tosec 16, Oct. 22. (Conference files, lot 60 D 627, CF 380)↩