740.0011 EW (Peace)/4–2247
Memorandum of Conversation, by the United States Political Adviser for Germany (Murphy)
I talked this afternoon with Mr. Couve de Murville, who told me that while Mr. Bidault would like to leave Wednesday18 evening nevertheless if there is a possibility of getting an Austrian treaty he would be prepared to stay even another week. He definitely would like to have a treaty now.
German Deputies. As matters now stand the French, according to Couve de Murville, see no necessity for an early meeting of the German Deputies. Questions relating to central agencies, advisory council, and provisional government, in their opinion, could well be allowed to stand as they are without further action by the Ministers. Couve feels that Control Council experience with these questions so far is not satisfactory. However, if the CFM does refer these questions the French preference would be that they be handled by the German Deputies instead of by the Control Council. He said however that this is not a hard-and-fast position.
The French do not like Berlin as a meeting place for the Deputies. Couve’s personal attitude is strong in this respect but he did not say that Mr. Bidault entirely shared his point of view. His reasons are psychological. I drove home the expense argument. He fears excessive German influence in the peace-making, the psychological effect on the Allies that meeting in Berlin would entail, and also unfavorable French public opinion.
Next meeting of CFM. Couve said it was impossible to predict whether French Foreign Minister will attend UN meeting in September. He said that the French are open-minded to the question whether CFM should run concurrently with the UN meeting. He thought this would be acceptable just as he feels the idea of agreeing on consultation next July for the purpose of citing a precise date for the next CFM meeting is acceptable. He sees no point in meeting earlier than next fall.
- April 23.↩