740.00119 Potsdam/7–2045
Rapporteur’s Report 1
Mr. Molotov’s Report on the Meeting of Foreign Ministers July 20th
Agenda of the meeting of Three Foreign Ministers included the following questions:
1. economic principles related to germany
It was stated that Commission authorized to prepare this question has not completed its work and therefore the question was not factually discussed. Resolved: to ask the Commission to complete its work not later than July 21st.
[Page 158]2. polish question
Announcement was made that Commission dealing with this question has not yet completed its work as result of which the question was not factually discussed. It is resolved to ask the Commission to complete its work not later than July 21.
3. on peace settlement
In view of the fact that Commission authorized to prepare the draft on this question was not able to do it, members of the Commission being engaged in other Commissions, [it] was resolved: Foreign Ministers meet to-day at 15–452 in order to prepare the question for submission to the meeting of the Heads of Three Governments. At this meeting of the three Foreign Ministers was adopted the amendment to the paragraph 3 and in the result of it this paragraph reads as follows:
“(3) As its immediate important task, the Council would be authorized to draw up, with a view to their submission to the United Nations, treaties of peace with Italy, Rumania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Finland and to propose settlements of territorial questions outstanding on the termination of the war in Europe. The Council shall be utilized for the preparation of a peace settlement for Germany to be accepted by the Government of Germany when a government adequate for the purpose is established.
For the discharge of each of these tasks the Council will be comprised of the members representing those States which were signatory to the terms of surrender imposed upon the enemy State concerned. For the purposes of the peace settlement for Italy, France shall be regarded as a signatory to the terms of surrender for Italy.
Other members should be invited to participate when matters of interest to them are under discussion.
Other matters may from time to time be referred to the Council by agreement between the States members thereof.”
4. on yalta declaration on liberated europe
People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs V. M. Molotov handed to Minister for Foreign Affairs of Great Britain A. Eden and Secretary of State of USA J. Byrnes the Soviet draft proposals on this question.3 In connection with the submitted draft the question of the situation in Roumania and Bulgaria on one hand and in Greece on the other were discussed. As a result of the discussion it was found out that Foreign Ministers vary in their estimation of the situation in these countries. [Page 159] In particular M[ess]rs. J. Byrnes and A. Eden stated that in Rumania and Bulgaria there are limitation[s] for the press. V. M. Molotov pointed out that there were certain inevitable limitations for press under wartime conditions. Of course at present time in view of termination of war the possibilities for work of the press representative] may be extended. This point raises no doubt. Secretary of State of USA Byrnes proposed that three Powers conclude an agreement on arranging for an observation by three Powers on procedure of elections in Italy, Greece, Roumania, Bulgaria, [and] Hungary and on provisions for the free access of press representatives of USA, USSR and Great Britain and for their unrestricted travels and possibility to freely send information. Mr. Eden seconded this proposal. People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs V. M. Molotov stated he sees no necessity to send special observers to Roumania and Bulgaria. As far as Greece is concerned the Soviet Government position was stated in the submitted document. Mr. Molotov stated that in case Foreign Ministers of Great Britain and USA submit written proposals on this question they can be discussed at the meeting of Three Ministers.
5. on italy
Secretary of State J. Byrnes submitted the draft decision of the Heads of Three Governments to the effect that they will support joining by Italy the Organization of the United Nations, but that they will not support the Spanish joining the Organization of the United Nations until [while] Spain remains under the control of the present regime in that country. Mr. Eden Foreign Minister of Great Britain stated that he supported this proposal and if any declaration on this question is worked out he would consider it expedient to mention in it that the Three Powers would also support the admittance to the membership of the United Nations of some neutral states, for example Sweden, Switzerland and Portugal. V. M. Molotov put a question whether this proposal could cover such countries, which were enemy states and now become cobelligerent states in the fight against Germany. Mr. A. Eden stated that this question could be discussed, but that he personally felt that such States could be admitted to the membership of the United Nations only after signing of the peace treaties with them. To study this question a subcommission of Matthews and Kennan [ Cannon ] of USA, Hoyer Millar and R. [P.] Dean of Great Britain and Maisky and Goussev of USSR was set up.
In connection with this it was agreed to ask the Commission dealing with reparations to consider the question of the reparations from Italy and Austria.
[Page 160]6. on western polish frontier
V. M. Molotov handed to Foreign Ministers [of the] USA and Great Britain the Soviet Government’s proposal on delimitation of the Western frontiers of Poland with the appropriate map. It was decided to submit the question to the meeting of the Three Heads of Governments July 20, 1945.
7. on trusteeship territories
V. M. Molotov handed to Foreign Ministers of the USA and Great Britain the Soviet Government’s proposals about trusteeship territories. It was decided to put the question on the agenda of the Three Heads of Governments July 20, 1945.
8. on agenda of the meeting of the three heads of governments
Agreed to recommend to the Three Heads of Governments the following agenda:
- 1.
- The peace settlement.
- 2.
- Of the USA President’s memorandum of July 17 on the policy toward Italy.
- 3.
- The situation in Austria and particularly in Vienna (The Prime Minister’s of the Great Britain information) [sic].
- 4.
- The Western Polish frontier.
- 5.
- The Trusteeship territories.
- Molotov acted as Rapporteur for this meeting. The typed notation “Informal translation from Russian” appears in the upper right-hand corner of page 1. A somewhat different translation is included in the minutes of the afternoon meeting of Heads of Government; cf. post, p. 165.↩
- i. e., 3:45 p.m.↩
- For the documents referred to in this report, see the footnotes to the minutes, ante, pp. 143–155.↩