274

Beasley to Evatt Cablegram 346 LONDON, 17 December 1947, 4.45 p.m. Received 18 December 1947

SECRET

Your telegram 383.

Will be glad to send appreciation requested as soon as one can usefully be formulated. Frankly I think collapse of meeting on Monday took every one somewhat by surprise and, so far as I can discover, the United Kingdom Government has not yet considered the next steps. I do not think that the Three Powers in any event are anxious to rush a decision as that would give colour to Molotov’s charge that breakdown of C.F.M. was virtually pre-arranged. United Kingdom - United States Agreement about bizonal financial arrangements is, of course, culmination of talks over many months in Germany, here, and in Washington, and is apparently not connected with breakdown of C.F.M.

2. I will lose no opportunity of pressing point made in your last sentence and hope by the end of the week to telegraph some estimate of future trends.

_

_

[AA : A1068, E47/15/5/1/6]