Memorandum, State Department Summary of Telegrams

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE WASHINGTON DECLASSIFIED E.O. 12065, Sec. 3-402 March 29, 1951 State Dept. Guidelines, March 6, 1982 8 By DE B NLT, Date 9-4- SECRE SUMMARY OF TELEGRAMS FOUR-POWER - In a surprise move at the Paris talks EXPLORATORY TALKS yesterday the Soviets proposed a new draft for item 1 of the agenda which makes some apparent concessions to the Western viewpoint, but which is far from ideal in our eyes. The new Soviet draft includes "demili- tarization of Germany" in item 1. (Heretofore, the Soviets have in- sisted that it must be a separate item). Moreover, it includes "discus - sion of the existing level of armaments and the question of establishing international control over the implementation of the reduction of armed forces" and it omits all reference to the Potsdam Agreement. Jessup reported immediately after the meeting that both Davies and Parodi clearly considered this proposal a basis for reaching rapid agreement with the Soviets. (Just prior to the Soviet presentation of this new draft agenda item in Paris, the British Embassy approached the Department on instructions from Mr. Morrison asking us to agree to the Soviets' erstwhile demand for making "demilitarization of Germany" a separate item in case the Russians showed no signs of accepting the Western stand. This approach would now appear to have been overtaken by events. ) We have informed Jessup that the Department's preliminary view is that the new Soviet draft, while ostensibly constituting an important concession, is actually full of catches. We have instructed Jessup to attempt to persuade Davies and Parodi to follow our lead in showing a healthy scepticism in today's meeting. Meanwhile the Department will discuss the matter further with the British and French here in Washington. JAPANESE TREATY Embassy Moscow, to whom we recently despatched a copy of the provisional draft of the Japanese peace treaty for its comments, expresses the belief that the Soviet reaction to the draft treaty will be sharp and vociferous, SECRET