Press Release

YYU/II X AND DEPARTMENT 29 DUPLICATE IN W. P. FILE DEPARTMENT OF STATE FOR THE PRESS DECEMBER 22, 1950 NO. 1255 Following is the text of the United States reply to the Soviet note of November 3, 1950 proposing a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers on the subject of the demilitariza- tion of Germany. The United States reply was delivered to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR today. Identical notes were delivered by the French and British Ambassadors at Moscow: 1. The Embassy of the United States of America has the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the note of November 3, 1950 of the Soviet Minister of Foreign Affairs. This note enclosed the text of a declaration published in Prague October 22, 1950, and proposed a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the United States, the United Kingdom, France and the USSR to consider the question of the fulfillment of the clauses of the Potsdam Agreement regarding the demilitarization of Germany. 2. The United States Government has consistently abided by the principle set forth in the Charter of the United Nations that international problems should be settled by peaceful negotiations. The U. S. Government takes this occasion to reaffirm its ad- herence to this principle. This is in full accord with the spirit of the recent General Assembly resolution supported by the U.S. Government which calls attention to the desirability of consultations which would help to allay existing international tensions. Far from having any aggressive intentions towards the Soviet Union, it is inspired by a genuine desire to put an end to the existing international tension and will spare no effort to achieve so highly desirable an end. It is prepared on the basis and in the manner set forth below to explore with the Soviet, British and French Governments the possibility of finding a mutually acceptable basis for a meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the four countries. 3. The Government of the United States has studied with care the note of the Soviet Government of November 3, 1950. It has been obliged to note with regret that the basis proposed in this note is not such as to afford any prospect of a genuine settlement. The Soviet proposal to examine the question of the demilitarization of Germany will not suffice to remove the causes of the present tension. The only German military force which exists at present is that which for many months in the Soviet Zone has been trained on military lines with artillery and tanks. If the participation of German units in the defense of western Germany is being discussed, it is solely because Soviet policy and actions have compelled the other nations to examine all means of improving their security. Contrary to the entirely false allegations contained in the Prague communique, the U.S. Government in common with the Governments of France and the United Kingdom is determined never to permit at any time or in any circumstance western Germany to be used as a base for aggression. The U.S. Government has no feeling of confidence that the same is true of that part of Germany under Soviet occupation, in view of the rearmament taking place in eastern Germany referred to above. 4. It is furthermore impossible to envisage a just settle- ment of German problems on the basis of the Prague communique, This communique contains no new or constructive feature and the solution proposed therein has been rejected by the majority of German opinion. It does little more than reiterate in substance revious propositions which proved after exhaustive examination ;O afford no basis for a constructive solution of the German problem. For the purpose of ending the present division of German