740.00119 Potsdam/8–745

Memorandum by the Executive Secretary of the Central Secretariat (Yost)1

top secret

Questions Discussed at the Berlin Conference and Their Disposition

i. procedures for the peace settlement

1. Council of Foreign Ministers

Disposition—As reported in the communiqué.

2. Meetings of the three Foreign Ministers as provided at the Yalta Conference

Disposition—It was agreed that, in spite of the establishment of the Council of Foreign Ministers, periodic meetings of the U. S., British, and Soviet Foreign Ministers might still usefully be held.

3. European Advisory Commission

Disposition—It was agreed that the Commission should be dissolved.

4. General Peace Conference to settle questions arising from the present war

Disposition—Such a conference was constantly referred to as an agency for ratifying decisions reached at Berlin or by the Council of Foreign Ministers, but no definite decision was taken as to whether or not such a conference should in fact be held.

ii. german questions

5. Political principles in regard to the treatment of Germany during the interim control period

Disposition—As stated in the communiqué.

6. Economic principles for the treatment of Germany during the initial control period

Disposition—As stated in the communiqué.

7. German reparations

Disposition—As stated in the communiqué.

8. French participation in the Reparations Commission

Disposition—It was agreed that France should become a member of the Commission.

9. German external assets. The U. S. presented a proposal on this subject.

Disposition—Final action was as stated in paragraphs 8 and 9 of the section on German reparations in the communiqué.

10. The Ruhr. The Soviets presented a paper stating that the [Page 603] Ruhr is to be considered an integral part of Germany and proposing a quadripartite administration of the area.

Disposition—It was originally agreed to refer this question to the Council of Foreign Ministers but at the time of the drawing up of the final Protocol it was dropped.

11. Königsberg area

Disposition—As stated in the communiqué.

12. Directives to military commanders on Allied Control Council for Germany

Disposition—As stated in the Protocol.

13. Disposal of the German Navy and Merchant Marine

Disposition—As stated in the Protocol.

14. War criminals

Disposition—As stated in the communiqué.

15. Transfer of German populations from Czechoslovakia, Poland and Hungary

Disposition—As stated in the communiqué.

16. Disarming of German troops in Norway. The Soviets raised this question and the British presented a reply.

17. Fascist activities in U. S. and British zones in Germany and Austria. The Soviets presented a statement on this subject. The U. S. and Britain said that they had asked their zone commanders for reports and that they would inform the Soviets of the tenor of these reports and would take whatever action seemed to be required.

18. Delivery of food, coal and fuel to Berlin. The British presented a proposal on this subject for the delivery of these materials by the Soviets.

Disposition—The Soviets asked for time to study the proposal and no action was taken.

19. Repatriation of Soviet citizens from Germany and other areas. The Soviets presented two statements on this subject to which the U. S. and British agreed to give sympathetic consideration.

iii. austria

20. Austria. The British raised the question of the entry of British and U. S. forces into Vienna and Stalin stated that this question had just been settled.

At the British and U. S. request Stalin agreed that the Soviets would continue to provide food for the population of the U. S. and British zones in Vienna until the U. S. and British commanders were ready to take over this task.

Agreement in regard to the Austrian Provisional Government and to Austrian reparations is as stated in the Protocol.

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iv. poland

21. Liquidation of the London Polish Government

Disposition—As stated in the communiqué.

22. Implementation of the Yalta Declaration in Regard to Poland

Disposition—As stated in the communiqué.

23. Western frontier of Poland

Disposition—As stated in the communiqué.

v. italy

24. Italy. The U. S. presented a proposal for easing the position of Italy.

Disposition—The Conference approved only that action set forth in the section of the communiqué on “Conclusion of Peace Treaties and Admission to the United Nations Organization”.

25. Italian reparations. The Soviets presented two proposals in regard to reparations from Italy but in view of U. S. and British opposition no action was taken.

26. Trusteeship territories. The Soviets proposed that the Council of Foreign Ministers be authorized to work out proposals for bringing into effect provisions of the trusteeship system in regard to ex-enemy territories and to League mandates.

Disposition—The action finally taken related only to Italian colonial territories and is as stated in the communiqué.

27. Treatment of Soviet prisoners in a British camp in Italy. The Soviets raised this question and the British presented an explanation which was accepted as satisfactory.

vi. spain

28. Spain. The Soviets presented a proposal that the Conference recommend to the United Nations that they break off all relations with the Franco Government and support the democratic forces in Spain.

Disposition—The action of the Conference in regard to Spain was limited to the final paragraph of the section of the communiqué entitled “Conclusion of Peace Treaties and Admission to the United Nations Organization”.

vii. southeast europe

29. Implementation of the Yalta Declaration on Liberated Europe and Satellite States. The U. S. presented a proposal providing for the following action in Rumania, Bulgaria, and Hungary: (1) supervision of elections, (2) greater facilities for the press, and (3) revised Control Commission procedure.

[Page 605]

Disposition—No action was taken on the first point. The second point is covered to some extent in the fourth paragraph of the section in the communiqué on “Conclusion of Peace Treaties and Admission to the United Nations Organization”. The third point was disposed of as stated in Section XII of the communiqué.

30. Use of Allied property for satellite reparations or “war trophies”. The U. S. presented a proposal on this subject, final action being as stated in the Protocol.

31. Facilities for radio representatives. The U. S. sought to have the same facilities which had been agreed to for Allied press representatives in Poland, Hungary, Rumania, Bulgaria and Finland extended to Allied radio representatives.

Disposition—The Soviets would not agree.

32. Oil equipment in Rumania

Disposition—As stated in the Protocol.

33. Yugoslavia. The British presented a proposal for the implementation of the Yalta Declaration concerning Yugoslavia. Stalin maintained that the Yalta Declaration was being carried out and refused to act unless Yugoslav representatives were allowed to state their case to the Conference.

Disposition—No action was taken.

34. Greece. Both the Greek internal situation and Greek relations with Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Albania were discussed. The U. S. and Britain proposed that the three powers join in supervising the Greek elections but the Soviets refused. The Soviets accused the Greek Government of an internal reign of terror and of aggressive action against Yugoslavia and Bulgaria, which the British refuted.

Disposition—No action was taken.

35. Southeast Europe. The British presented a proposal for the mediation of differences between Yugoslavia and Greece.2

Disposition—The Soviets did not agree and no action was taken.

viii. general european

36. Cooperation in solving urgent European economic problems. The U. S. proposed that the Soviets participate in the work of the EEC, the ECO and the EITO [ECITO].

Disposition—The final action was as stated in the Protocol.

37. International inland waterways. The U. S. presented a proposal for insuring the free and unrestricted navigation of international waterways and for establishing interim international regimes to this end for the Rhine and the Danube.

Disposition—Final action was as stated in the Protocol.

[Page 606]

38. Oil supplies for Western Europe. The U. S. presented a proposal for the supply of oil to Western Europe from Rumania, Hungary and Austria. The Soviets agreed to study the proposal but did not give any final reply before the end of the Conference.

ix. near east

39. Turkey and the Black Sea Straits. After the British had raised the question as to Soviet intentions toward Turkey, the Soviets introduced a proposal providing for the abrogation of the Montreux Convention and for exclusive control of the Straits by Turkey and Russia with provision for Soviet bases on the Straits.

Disposition—The action finally taken was as described in the Protocol.

40. Tangier

Disposition—As stated in the Protocol.

41. Syria and Lebanon. The Soviets proposed quadripartite consultation on this question but after a statement by Churchill dropped that proposal.

42. Iran. The British presented a proposal for the evacuation by stages of Soviet, British and U. S. troops from Iran.

Disposition—Final action was as stated in the Protocol.

x. far east

43. Japanese peace proposal. Stalin informed the Conference of the latest proposal and of the Soviet reply thereto.

44. Korea. The question of trusteeship for Korea was raised by the Soviets but not discussed.

  1. Printed from an unsigned carbon copy.
  2. Cf. p. 1078, post, footnote 3.