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DOCUMENTS ON GERMANY, 1944-59             177
Western Proposal for Reunification of Germany by Free
Elections, November 4,1955'1
REUNIFICATION OF GERMANY BY FREE ELECTIONS
On the joint initiative of the Governments of France, the United
Kingdom, the United States and the Federal Republic of Germany,
the Foreign Ministers of France, the United Kingdom and the U.S.
submit the following proposal as the first step in order to carry out
the reunification of Germany in freedom in accordance with the Plan
presented by the Three Powers on October 28:
DRAFT DECISION OF THE CONFERENCE
In conformity with the ieommton responsibility of their governments
for the settlement of the German question and the reunification of
Germany and in compliance with the Directive of their Heads of
Government that the settlement of the German question and the reuni-
fication of Germany by means of free elections shall be carried out in
conformity with the national interests of the German people and the
interests of European security, the Foreign Ministers of France, the
U.K., the U.S.S.R., and the U.S. have agreed as follows:
1. Free and secret elections shall be held throughout Germany
during September 1956, for the selection of representatives for an
all-German National Assembly to draft a constitution and to form
a government thereunder for a reunified Germany.
2. Each of the Four Powers will designate a representative to
a Commission to prepare, in consultation with German experts,
the electoral law for such elections, including effective provisions
for safeguards and supervision to insure the freedom of such
elections.
3. The Commission shall undertake its functions promptly and
shall submit its report to the Four Powers by January 1956.
Soviet Proposal on Basic Principles of the Treaty Between the
Existing Groups of States in Europe, November 9,19552
BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE TREATY BETWEEN THE
EXISTING GROUPS OF STATES IN EUROPE
Guided by the desire to strengthen peace and recognizing-the neces-
sity to contribute in every possible way to reducing international
tension and establishing confidence in relations between states,
The Governments of the Soviet Union, the United States of Amer-
ica, France. and the United Kingdom have agreed that. the conclusion
of, a treaty between the member states of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization and the Western European Union on the one hand, and
the parties to the Warsaw Treaty on the other, would be in the
1 Ibid., pp. 136-137. Tripartite proposal submitted by the United States.
2 Ibid., p. 168.