Paraphrase of Communication given to M. Molotov
 
 
       There seems to have been a great deal of discussion 
lately both in British and in foreign press on what is 
described as a Western European bloc". A number of these 
articles seem to suggest that it is His Majesty' s Government's 
desire and intention to organise some closely integrated
Western European system both on political and on economic
lines and some have been hinted that this should be with the 
object of forming a sort of counterpoise to the Soviet Union, 
His Majesty's Government and United States. Some articles do
not even mention the World Organization at all.    
 
     You can assure M. Molotov that this is largely fantasy 
so far as actual policy of His Majesty's Government is con-
cerned. Whether it will be inadvisable to devise a system 
for the organisation in Western Europe of regional defence 
against Germany for the one and only purpose of holding 
Germany down is a question that will doubtless have to be 
considered. You may recall tthat during Dumbarton Oaks 
discussions Sir A. Camogan frankly said that it was our
intention if possible to make use of paragraph 8 c of proposals 
in this sense and that no objection was raised either by the 
Soviet or by American representatives. In this sense Marshal 
Stalin, himself, encouraged us in 1941 to believe that such a 
system would be agreeable to him. Provided, in fact, that 
regional arrangements are definitely made subordinate to a 
World Organisation, we cannot imagine that the Soviet Union 
would have any objection to their establishment either in 
the West or in the East of Europe.
 
        It is quite true that we have at various times been 
approached by Norwegian, Dutch and Belgian Governments on  
such matters, and recently M. Spaak conveyed to us a memorandum
which appeared to go rather further than regional organisation 
defence against Germany and referred to economic alternatives 
as well. His Majesty's Government have not yet considered
M. Spaak's memorandum though they have agreed to grant various 
facilities for training of Belgians disbanded in the United 
Kingdom ant have undertaken to make transference of the
necessary arms and equipment for a limited number of Belgian
 
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