HC Deb 18 February 1948 vol 447 cc1153-5
40. Mr. William Wells

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs when the Government refused a proposal of the Soviet Government that the latter's experts should collaborate with British and American experts in examining German-Soviet documents in the Government's possession.

41. Mr. Platts-Mills

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will publish in full the text of the request made by the Soviet Government in 1945 that Soviet experts should take part in a joint study of German documents captured by Anglo-American troops; and if he will also publish, at the same time, the reply of His Majesty's Government to that request.

Mr. Bevin

In June, 1945, the Soviet Ambassador who had read reports of the arrival in London of large quantities of German documents, requested—the Russian word was "insisted"—that Soviet experts should be allowed to examine them. On 10th July, 1945, Sir Alexander Cadogan told him that these reports were without foundation but that vast quantities of documents were in Allied hands in various places in Western Germany; no doubt the Russians had similar archives. Facilities for examination would depend on the exigencies of military administration and on the progress made in sorting the material. The moment, therefore, said Sir Alexander Cadogan, appeared premature for the Soviet Government to send experts to London to take part in any reciprocal arrangements which might eventually be made.

Arrangements are being made for the publication of these two notes. There has been since no further correspondence with the Soviet Government on this subject.

Following are the Notes:

Soviet Aide Memoire of 19th June, 1945 (Translated from Russian)

From reports published in the London Press it has become known that several carloads of documents from the archives of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs have arrived in London from Germany and that these archives are being studied by British and American experts. Mention of this fact was made, for instance, in the London "Daily Express" on May 29 and in the "Daily Herald" on May 31 last.

In view of the above, the Embassy of the U.S.S.R. in Great Britain herewith has the honour to notify the Foreign Office that the Soviet Government insists that Soviet experts be immediately allowed to study the German State archives captured by the Allied troops and, in particular, the archives of the Miinstry of Foreign Affairs.

For this purpose the Soviet Government intends to send several Soviet experts to London within the next few days.

Sir A. Cadogan's reply, dated 10th July, 1945 to Monsieur Gousev

You handed me on the 19th June, and have subsequently spoken to me about, an aide memoire which referred to reports in certain British newspapers that considerable quantities of documents from the archives of the German Ministry for Foreign Affairs had been brought to London for examination by British and American experts.

I have made enquiries into these reports and find that they are without foundation, inasmuch as all the original German Foreign Office documents which have been discovered by the Anglo-American Forces are still in Germany among the large mass of miscellaneous German archives located at various places in Western Germany. I presume that German State archives of similar type and value have likewise been discovered by the Soviet Forces in their area of occupation. In each case facilities for examination will no doubt depend on the exigencies of military administration and on the progress made in sorting out such material

The only material that has reached this country consists of certain microfilm copies of German documents. These are at present being processed and sorted by a technical Department preparatory to a thorough examination, and to translation where this is considered to be worth while. The Soviet authorities have no doubt taken similar steps to copy, as a matter of routine, selected documents from the German archives in their possession.

In view of the early stage of the work so far done on our side, we have not yet thought fit to take the initiative in proposing discussion between the Allied Powers on the exchange of copies of documents under their respective control. It would thus appear premature for the Soviet Government to send experts to London in order to take advantage of any reciprocal arrangements which may in due course be made in this field.