Germany's Government

Northern Advocate, 3 April 1947, Page 5

Germany's Government

(Rec. 1.30 p.m.) MOSCOW, April 2. M. Bidault, at a meeting of the Foreign Ministers, agreed to a British proposal for establishing a provisional government for Germany in a series of stages, but added that the French believed the stages could not be put into effect until economic unity was achieved, the future German frontiers fixed and certain constitutional principles thoroughly defined.

The conference referred the whole question of the future government for Germany to a coordinating committee. Mr G. C. Marshall sought to abolish the veto in the Allied Control Council in matters relating to the German Government, but M. Molotov opposed the proposal.

M. Molotov, discussing the German Government said the constitution should be based on the Weimar Constitution except that the President’s executive powers should be limited. Messrs Bevin and Marshall both considered the kind of constitution should be left to the German people. The United States, Britain and France all thought the provisional government should be composed of representatives of the German states, most of whom had been elected. M. Molotov declared the Russian view was that of trade uniops, political parties and anti-Fascist organisations should make up the government.