sential condition for Germany's economic recovery. Yet Mr.
Marshall's statement introduces what appears lo be a
different view.
However, it is not so difficult to understand Uiis contra-
diction. It can be seen from Mr. Harriman's more outspo-
ken, statement that, while two years ago the U.S. Govern-
ment considered the creation of a federal (all-German) gov-
ernment desirable, it now no longer believes in the achieve-
ment of agreement between the four countries on this ques-
tion. Therefore Mr. Harriman says frankly that "the start
must be made in the West with what we have," which can
only be understood to mean thai the question of the creation
of a government for the Western zones has already been
decided by the United States of America.
After this it is understandable why, at the present meet-
ing of the four Ministers, the American delegation does not
seem interested in reaching an agreement on the formation
of an all-German government. If the question of the setting
up of a government for "Bizonia" has already been decided
and this has been published for general information, then it
is understandable that the American delegation at our meet-
ing does not set itself the aim of reaching agreement on the
formation of an all-German government.
Hence, the mention of an all-German government in
Mr. Marshall's statement was made, apparently, only as a
matter of form, because it would have been awkward not
to speak of it at all. While Mr. Harriman says that it is nec-
essary to begin to set up a government "in the West," and
declares that it is not possible to hope for the formation of
an all-German government, Mr. Marshall expresses the
same idea, only in another, less outspoken, form. Evidently,
it is precisely for this reason that today's statement of the
American delegation says that there is no reason to wait for
the formation of an all-German government, but that it is
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