740.00119 (Potsdam)/7–2145
Rapporteur’s Report 1
Rapporteur’s Report of the Meeting of Foreign Ministers, Saturday Morning, July 21, 1945
i. council of foreign ministers
The Foreign Ministers discussed the date of the formal establishment of the Council and agreed that it should be set up not later than September 1. It was also agreed that telegrams of invitation to participate in the work of the Council should be dispatched to the Government of China and the Provisional Government of France before public announcement of the establishment of the Council is made. At the request of the British Delegation, the drafting committee which has been dealing with this question was asked to make a few minor changes in the present text of the proposal.
[Page 196]ii. german economic questions
Since the report of the subcommittee on this question2 had only just been presented and the various delegations have not had an opportunity to give it adequate study, it was agreed to delay the discussion of this subject until tomorrow.
iii. polish question—liquidation of the london government and implementation of the yalta declaration
The Chairman of the subcommittee which has been dealing with this subject presented the subcommittee’s report. Since the subcommittee have been unable to reach full agreement, the points of disagreement were discussed at length. The Foreign Ministers were able to reach an understanding on several of these points, but the following were referred to the Heads of Governments for final decision:
- a.
- The paragraph relating to the transfer of assets and the recognition of liabilities by the Provisional Government. (The U. S. substitute draft of this paragraph was presented for consideration.)
- b.
- The paragraph relating to the holding of elections and to freedom of the press.
iv. implementation of the yalta agreement on liberated europe and satellite states
The U. S. circulated a paper on this question at the meeting but it was decided to postpone discussion of the paper in order to allow time for further study.
v. italy and the other satellite states
The U. S. presented in this connection two papers: one on policy toward Italy and one on policy toward Rumania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Finland. The Foreign Ministers agreed to refer these papers to a drafting subcommittee. A point of difference arose, however, as to whether the drafting subcommittee should be instructed to deal with policy toward all these states in a single paper or to deal separately with Italy on the one hand and with Bulgaria, Rumania, Hungary and Finland on the other. The Soviet Delegation favored a single paper and the U. S. favored two separate papers. It was agreed that, since the question of policy toward Italy and the other satellites had been referred to the Foreign Ministers by the Heads of Governments, the Heads of Governments should be asked to decide at today’s meeting whether or not the drafting subcommittee should be instructed to prepare a single paper on all of these countries or two papers based on the U. S. drafts.
[Page 197]vi. agenda of the meeting of heads of governments
It was agreed that the Foreign Ministers would recommend to the Heads of Governments that their agenda for this afternoon should include the two questions referred to above, which had previously been referred to the Foreign Ministers by the Heads of Governments and on which the Foreign Ministers now desire further instructions, as well as three questions carried over from the agenda of yesterday’s meeting of the Heads of Governments. The recommended agenda for this afternoon’s meeting would therefore be as follows:
- 1.
- The Polish Question—Liquidation of the London Government and the Implementation of the Yalta Agreement.
- 2.
- Question as to whether in drawing up a policy toward Italy and the other satellites the subcommittee should prepare a separate recommendation on Italy or should prepare a single recommendation on all of the countries in question.
- 3.
- Polish Western frontier. The Soviet Delegation yesterday presented a paper on this subject.
- 4.
- Trusteeship. The Soviet Delegation also presented yesterday a paper on this subject.
- 5.
- Turkey. It is understood that the British Delegation wishes to raise this question orally.