No. 312
Editorial Note
The Tripartite Working Group on preparations for possible talks with the Soviet Union at Lugano met at the French Foreign Ministry October 21–November 2, 1953. The British and French Delegations were led respectively by Sir Frank Roberts and François Seydoux de Clausonne, who also chaired the sessions. The United States Delegation was led by Douglas MacArthur II, and included Theodore Achilles, Coburn Kidd, Ridgway Knight, Jacques Reinstein, Rebecca Wellington, and Charles Yost.
For the purpose of communication with the United States Delegation the Department of State designated two special series telegram indicators, Macto and Tomac. The former designated traffic from the delegation, while the latter designated traffic to the delegation. Both series of these cables are in CFM files, lot M 88, box 166; Conference files, lot 60 D 627, CF 166; and file 396.1 PA.
At its first plenary meeting the Tripartite Working Group established five subcommittees: (1) Political, including all-German elections and the status of an all-German Government, (2) Economic, (3) Security Guarantees, (4) Austria, and (5) Industrial Controls. The subcommittees began work immediately and continued to meet as frequently as their work demanded, while the plenary met less frequently and then usually to discuss questions arising out of the consideration of security guarantees. In the course of their meetings the subcommittees generally arrived at agreed tripartite positions on the questions to which each devoted its attention. Only the Security Guarantees Subcommittee was unable to adopt an agreed position paper, and its difficulties, which were referred to the plenary for resolution, remained unresolved when the working group completed its meetings on November 2. Copies of the agreed papers and the bracketed report on security guarantees, none of which are printed here, are in CFM files, lot M 88, boxes 165 and 166.
Following receipt of the Soviet note of November 26 (Document 284), the Tripartite Working Group again met in Paris, December 16–21, to continue and complete its work on the preparation of agreed tripartite positions for presentation to the Soviet Union at the four-power conference to be held in Berlin.
The documentation that follows presents materials only on the discussion of a draft security declaration, which occupied most of the time of the Tripartite Working Group, and the position of the [Page 723] United States with regard to a five-power conference. The working group also discussed Austria, all-German elections and the status of an all-German Government, economic problems, and the tactics to be followed by the three powers in preparing for a four-power conference.
Copies of the telegrams to and from the United States Delegation and the final report of the second session of the Tripartite Working Group (PREP D–5), dated December 23, are in CFM files, lot M 88, box 166 and in file 396.1 BE.