Evening star., 1949-05-20
Acheson's Statement on Big a Meeting

The text Of Secretary of
State Acheson's statement
. after his appearance before the
= Senate Foreign Relations Com
q. mittee yesterday:
I leave the United States tomor-
row for Paris to participate in an
= other meeting of the Council of
Foreign Ministers on the problem OF
Germany.
q I refer to another meeting be-
cause, as you know. my predecessor,
Gen. Marshall, iourneyed to Moscow
in the spring of 1947 and to London
4 in the autumn of the same year to
deal with the same problem in the
same body. You all know that these
two previous attempts to reach a
workable agreement with the Soviet
Union on the problem of Germany
ended in a deadlock and failure.
: On the eve of these negotiations,
1t Is, think, of the utmost i'm
portance that the people of the
United States understand and keep
t. in perspective the circumstances
under which this meeting is taking
place.
Blockade Obstacle Removed
The agreement reached with the
Soviet government on May which
has brought about the lifting OF the
Berlin blockade and restoration Of
normal communications with that
city and between zones of ~occupa-
ton in Germany has made possible
this meeting. 1t has been the OBJ
stacle of the Berlin blockade which
for the past 10 months has stood
In the way of any four-power con-
sideration of the German problem
as whole.
The three Western powers have
repeatedly made clear their willing
ness to set down with the repre-
sentatives of the Soviet Union for a
discussion of German problems just
as soon as the blockade was re-
moved. We had, since the estab-
lishment of the blockade in June Of
last year, made repeated attempts,
by direct negotiations and through
the United Nations, to bring this
dangerous and, in our view, illegal
situation to a head.
While we were not willing toI
negotiate under pressure of the
blockade we were nonetheless con-
stantly on the alert for any indica-
tion which might bring about the
adjustment Of this situation with
out impairment of our rights and
obligations as an occupying power.
AS a result of the informal ex-
changes which occurred in New
York, it has been possible to do just
that.
Agreement Welcomed.
We welcomed this agreement. It
is important, however, to realize
that, in itself, this agreement merely
restores a situation which existed a
year ago and thereby removes an
obstacle which for 10 months has
stood in the path of further nego-
tations on Germany.
1t Is not, in itself, a solution or
even the beginning of a solution of
the vital and difficult problem of the
future of Germany. We do not
know yet whether this welcome de-
velopment can be regarded as an
encouraging omen for the forth
coming talks until we have come to
grips with the realities of the Ger
man situation.
In his report to the Nation fol-
lowing the breakdown of the Coun-
Gil of Foreign Ministers on Germany
in December, 1947, Gen. Marshall
stated that Gin regard to peace
settlemenD:
'The issue is really clear cut and
! fear there can be no settlement
until the coming months demon
strate whether or not the civiliza-
ton of Western Europe will prove
vigorous enough to rise above the
destructive effects of the war and
restore a healthy society. officials
of the Soviet Union and leaders of
the Communist parties openly pre-
dict that this restoration will not
take place. We, on the other hand,
are confident in the rehabilitation
of Western European civilization
with its freedoms.
Much has happened in the world
since the last meeting of the Council