Procedure for German Settlement.

1. At a meeting with Addison, Machtig [1] and Strang this
afternoon after repeating our rejection of revised United Kingdom
proposals regarding consultation I conveyed at length on personal
level, views contained in your 56.

2. Immediate reaction was not encouraging. Addison said that while
for his part, he would like closest possible association with
Dominions he thought the suggestion that the unit to be
represented on the Council of Foreign Ministers should be the
British Commonwealth of Nations was quite unattainable.

(a) In so far as our proposals represented a substantial
difference in approach to the question of procedure for German
settlement, time was too short for them to be thoroughly
considered before Bevin left for Moscow on Tuesday.

(b) In so far as they implied fundamental change in Commonwealth
relationships they would require careful and long term
consideration and acceptance by all Dominion Governments. The
attitude of Canada towards any closer definition of Commonwealth
relationships was already known. Acceptance by South Africa would
be doubtful.

(c) British Representatives at the Moscow Meetings would do their
utmost to secure effective representation of Dominions on
committees and subcommittees. They would not give way on that
principle. Addison thought inconceivable your suggestion that
British Dominions could well be excluded altogether under a
formula 'A convenient number of representatives'.

(d) The question of a 'consolidated' representation by which one
Commonwealth representative on a sub-committee might express views
of other non represented Commonwealth members might be further
explored.

(e) United Kingdom would resist strongly any suggestion that
procedure for German settlement be followed in connection with
treaty with Japan.

(f) Addison intimated that our proposals might take on a different
aspect should there be a complete impasse at Moscow.

3. Both Bevin at meeting on Wednesday and Strang and Robertson at
Thursday's meeting expressed doubts whether there would ever be a
final Peace Conference in the accepted sense and thought that much
of the detailed discussion regarding procedure might be somewhat
unreal. It was felt that if the controversy re procedure dragged
on there might be strong pressure at Moscow to widen scope of
present control arrangements for Germany so as to allow of
important administrative decisions which would tend to harden into
a definitive settlement. I took opportunity yesterday and this
afternoon to reaffirm our views on an interim agreement and
suggested that our latest proposals were not by any means
inconsistent with this.

4. In spite of immediate reactions conveyed above I feel your
determination to see Australia play a primary role in connection
with the German settlement has strongly impressed the United
Kingdom and will result in stiffening considerably their attitude
at Moscow.