Telegram from Walter Bedell Smith to the Department of State

INCOMING TELEGRAM DEPARTMENT OF STATE-DIVISION OF - COMMUNICATIONS AND RECORDS TELEGRAPH BRANCH DECLASSIFIED E. O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and 5(D) or (E) 15L Dept. of State letter, Aug. 9, 1973 By NLT He NARS Date 7.14.75 D Action: EUR Control 7584 Infos s/s Rec'd March 25, 1947 UB 3:03 a.m. A-H FROM: Moscow DC/R LOG TO : Secretery of State NO : 974, March 24, 4 P.M. "NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND DELSEC 1339 .REGORDS s SERVICE^ the FOR ACHESON FROM MARSHALL The following reports are for the personal information of the President, Vendenberg, Connally and yourself: Mr. Dulles reports that Bideult made the following statements to him in a recent conversation: "Bidault said that his interview with Stalin had had no significance. Stalin had confined himself to expressing strong disapproval of a federalized Germany and the hope that the Fronch would not pross for this. Bidault folt that Stalin wanted a central government because he folt confident the Soviets could get control of 1t and thus get control of all Germany Bidault felt that no great decision about Germany vould be made at Moscow and stated that any final peace terms for Germany might be a matter not merely of months but of possibly a couple of years. He said that putting the French zone in with ours would involve a major political decision as it would be interpreted by the Soviet Union as the creation of a western bloc and France vas not in a position to make that decision at the present time. However, Bidault hoped that the situstion might develop shortly which would permit that decision being made and he would pross its study olthough probably no answer could be given at Moscow. # Saturday Mr. Bevin called on me at 12:45 and left at 2:30. Bevin stated that he did not feel that repara- tione from current production were, by the Potsdem agreement, TOP INFORMATION COPY