Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Western European Security, Volume V, Part 2

396.1/12–553

Telegraphic Summary, by the United States Delegation¹

secret

Bermuda, December 5, 1953.

Today’s Bermuda session began with working group on Soviet note. In preliminary exchange Merchant (US) commented we all presumably should regard Soviet note as acceptance of our efforts. US believed allied response should be brief and non-contentious in order to avoid further note exchange. He hoped note would be finished quickly and dispatched before Bermuda ends. US favored meeting in first week January in Berlin in old ACC building.

Seydoux (French) agreed note should be short but added that French position regarding time and place of proposed conference more uncertain and Bidault would presumably wish discuss these details with other Foreign Ministers. Seydoux indicated that Bidault was not too keen about Berlin that French understood Adenauer was also evidentally not too keen about this location and that French presidential elections introduced certain element of delay regarding date of conference.

Roberts (UK) expressed preference for short prompt note tenor of which would assume Soviet acceptance of a meeting (even though not our idea of meeting). Regarding place he suggested that even though British might not have proposed Berlin it appeared inadvisable from public opinion viewpoint to argue this point. Under circumstances it therefore better accept Berlin though we should avoid meeting in Soviet sector and therefore press for ACC building. In fact conference in Berlin might be good idea to help try and force Soviets to concentrate on German discussions. British favored earliest possible conference if possible first week January though French admittedly have problem here. Roberts added that discussion already indicated general agreement except re date of conference.

Merchant added that while Foreign Ministers should clearly discuss and decide questions of time and place, US felt early date most important. If conference not held until February or March we feared real difficulties with Congress in connection US aid program. It therefore important US felt to have meeting if possible and have it over with early in 1954.

British and French then circulated draft replies they had prepared² (which generally in line with each other and with our tentative thinking). Merchant explained that while US not presenting its own draft our main concern was that note should be very brief construing Soviet note as acceptance containing short reservations re Soviet attack on EDC and Soviet five-power conference position and then proposing conference at specific time and place.

Following some exchange of views re respective drafts it was agreed that US would attempt to combine best points British and French drafts and at same time shorten same while Foreign Ministers meeting subsequently should discuss time and place of proposed conference.³

1. The source text was transmitted priority to Washington in Secto 7 from Bermuda, Dec. 5. This telegram was repeated to London, Paris, Bonn, Moscow, and Vienna. No other record of this meeting has been found in the Department of State files.
2. Neither of the drafts under reference here has been identified in the Department of State files.
3. For a record of the Foreign Ministers discussion of the place and date of the four-power conference, see FM MIN 2, p. 1763.