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

Conference files, lot 60 D 627, CF 184

Morris Minutes¹

secret
FM MIN 3

Bermuda, December 6, 1953.

Agenda

A brief discussion led to agreement, under the Chairmanship of Mr. Eden, that this session’s agenda would cover: the reply to the Soviet note; NATO, including participation by Lord Ismay, NATO Secretary General; and the question of “security assurances”. The British and French indicated once more they attached considerable importance to the latter.

Reply to Soviet Note

The Ministers discussed the draft tripartite reply which had been prepared the afternoon before by a Working Party.² A number of changes were suggested and adopted, following some discussion. The most significant, in terms of the positions adopted during the tripartite sessions of the day before (both by the Working Party, Foreign Ministers and Heads of Government³), related to the date and place of the proposed conference.

With regard to the date, Mr. Eden proposed January 7, in order to “give a few more days for preparation” than the date January 4 would afford. Mr. Dulles commented that he would accept any of the “first days of January”, and was only opposed either to leaving the date unspecified or suggesting a date after January 17th. M. Bidault then pointed out that, as he and Mr. Laniel were already “hanging on the razor’s edge” for agreeing to a meeting prior to January 17th, from their point of view it would be better the earlier the date chosen. Mr. Eden then agreed to accept January 4th.

In connection with the place of the proposed meeting, the Secretary urged that we settle on Berlin and on the former Allied Control Authority building, and specify these in our note, for such treatment would make it harder for the Soviets to argue about unsettled points and to propose meeting in their sector of Berlin, a possibility which both the Germans and the Allies did not like to envisage. He felt this treatment in our note would also make it more acceptable to Dr. Adenauer. Following some discussion, this was agreed upon.

Mr. Eden then suggested that the text be cabled immediately to Germany, to obtain the concurrence of Dr. Adenauer and Lord Mayor Schreiber of Berlin, so that, if their agreement could be received by tomorrow, we could plan to deliver the note in Moscow on Tuesday, December 8, release it to the press at 1600 GMT with “the usual embargo” until 1:30 a.m. GMT the following morning (thus making the Wednesday morning press). This tentative plan was agreed to, with the idea that the Communiqué of the Bermuda Conference might be issued in time to reach the Tuesday morning press, and the Allied note the press the following morning.

1. The record for the third Foreign Ministers meeting is divided into two parts in the files of the U.S. Delegation. The source text comprises the first part and covers the agenda and the Soviet note; the telegraphic summary (infra) comprises the second part and covers NATO. The U.S. Delegation transmitted to Washington a summary of the first part of this meeting in Secto 15 from Bermuda, Dec. 6. (396.1/12–653)
2. For a report on this meeting, see p. 1761.
3. For a record of the Foreign Ministers discussion of the tripartite reply, see FM MIN 2, p. 1763; for a record of the Heads of Government discussion, see Plenary Minutes 2, p. 1774.