Deputies for Germany.

Following is a summary of the situation reached up to and
including 20th February as a result of discussions of proposals by
each deputy (my teles No. D108, 118,133 and 134).

2. There is a general agreement between all four on the following
points
1. Responsibility for drafting of the Treaty with Germany must be
left to the Council of Foreign ministers.

2. There should be consultation with other active belligerent
allies on the question of the preparation of the Treaty.

3. The consultation should take place by three kinds of machinery.

(a) Hearing by the CFM or deputies of views of Allied States;

(b) Consultation and Information Committee;

(c) Committees or sub-committees.

3. There is still disagreement on the following aspects of (3)(a),
(b) and (c).

4. Attendances at hearings by ministers or deputies.

On (a) United Kingdom, United States and French deputies consider
that hearings should take place in the presence of representatives
of other allies who should have an opportunity to ask questions
and to make comments orally and in writing. Soviet deputy opposes
this.

5. Composition of information and consultation committee.

On (b) United Kingdom, United States and French deputies consider
that information and consultation committee should consist of the
four powers and of other active belligerent allies, who should
have equal right of discussion, although reports to the CFM or
deputies should be made by the representatives of the four powers.

The Soviet deputy considers that only representatives of the four
powers should be full members though Allied representatives should
have opportunity to comment orally or in writing. The Soviet and
French deputies wish to include Albania among Allied
representatives. United Kingdom and the United States deputies
oppose the inclusion of Albania.

6. Functions of the information and consultation committee. The
French deputy has proposed that function should be
(1) To inform regularly Allied Governments on work of the CFM on
preparation of the peace treaty and to communicate to the Allies
principal documentation of CFM concerning preparation of Peace
Treaty including decisions, directives, reports etc. which may be
useful for their information.

(2) To inform the other Allies of memoranda statements and other
documents submitted by an Allied Government subject to the
concurrence of the originating Ally.

(3) The information and consultation committee would also be the
forum for consultation and comment by the Allies on general
questions such as demilitarization and de-nazification.

The United Kingdom deputy has given general support but has urged
that information and consultation committee should receive
documentation of committees and sub-committees as well as of the
Council of Foreign Ministers and deputies. He has also proposed
that it should be expressly stated that in the process of
consultation in the information and consultation committee, it
should be open to representatives of the four powers to seek the
views of the Allied States and for representatives of Allied
States to comment and ask questions in writing or orally upon any
matter treated in the documents brought to their knowledge.

The Soviet deputy has maintained that decision whether or not any
documents etc. should be communicated to members of the committee,
should be decided in each case by the Council of Foreign Ministers
or deputies. He has agreed in principle that recipients should
have the right to comment on documents received. The United States
deputy has suggested that documents etc. should normally be
communicated although the CFM or deputies should reserve the right
to withhold or delay communication in special cases. He agreed
generally with our line.

7. Committees. On (c) the United States proposal is for four
standing committees covering whole range of treaty viz:

(a) Political and constitutional;

(b) Territorial;

(c) Economic and reparations;

(d) Disarmament and demilitarization.

These would consist of representatives of the four powers, one
ally designated by each of the four powers separately and such
states directly interested whom the four deputies jointly agree to
designate.

8. The United Kingdom plan did not suggest any particular number
of committees but proposed that committees to consider particular
matters should be appointed and should comprise representatives of
the four powers and of a convenient number of Allied
representatives including those directly interested.

9. The French proposal for committees was narrower and was limited
to questions concerning particular states since the French deputy
contemplates that all general questions would be handled in the
information and consultation committee.

10. The Soviet deputy proposes to link committees to the Committee
of Information and Consultation and to confine functions to
questions of direct or special interest to individual allied
States and composition to four powers with participation of
experts of such states.

11. The French deputy has today 21st February submitted revised
proposals, text of which is in my following telegram. The United
Kingdom and the United States deputies have criticised it on the
main grounds that it narrowly restricts the subject matter to be
referred to sub committees and confines participation of Allied
representatives in sub committees to those directly interested.

They also urged that it should be made clear that reports of the
sub committee will be made available to Allied representatives not
represented thereon and that such representatives will have
opportunity to comment.

12. The deputies are due to complete their report by 25th
February. If therefore you wish to offer comments on the detailed
alternatives described above should be grateful if they could
reach me by Monday morning 24th February London time.