The session of the Council of Foreign Ministers terminated
tonight. The concluding stages since the end of last week were
given over entirely to the arguments on Protocol questions
described in Dominions Office telegrams [1] and so came to an end
without agreement on any of the substantial points involved. No
date was fixed for resumption of the session.

Today, realising that there was no chance of agreement on other
aspects, Byrnes supported by Bevin, strongly urged that the
Council should come to some conclusion on the proposal which we
have put forward from the first, namely that a Conference should
be called of the Five Powers plus European Allies and other active
belligerents. Molotov, however, would not agree discussion of this
because he objected to France and China participating in the
European settlement where they had not been belligerents.

Bevin will be in consultation with us and I think will issue a
declaration supporting in substance our request for a Conference.

Such a Conference can hardly be avoided and the failure of the
Council to agree on important points strengthens the claim for it.

In truth, most of the members came to the Council unprepared for
their great task, yet prepared to exclude the Dominions and other
belligerents from a real share in the peacemaking.

There is no real reason to be pessimistic about the breakdown. On
the contrary, I think it may be an augury of a just and more
democratic approach to the peace. Our case for Far Eastern
participation is now fairly established.