Foreign Relations of the United States, The Conferences at Washington, 1941–1942, and Casablanca, 1943

Hopkins Papers

The British Ambassador (Halifax) to Prime Minister Churchill ¹

[Washington,] December 25, 1941.

Minute Sheet

Prime Minister

I attach a re-draft of the Joint Declaration embodying the War Cabinet’s views expressed in telegram Taut No. 185.²

I should call attention to the following points:—

1. The list of Governments in the preamble includes the Governments of all those countries which are actually fighting against the Axis powers or are in enemy occupation. It does not include the Central American countries which have declared war against Germany and Italy but are not actually involved in hostilities. The order in which the countries are mentioned may perhaps require revision. I have put the United States first, the United Kingdom and the Dominions next, and the other Allies in alphabetical order. This follows the system adopted at the St. James’s Palace Conference last September when the United Kingdom and Dominion representatives were mentioned first and then the Allies in alphabetical order.³

2. In their telegram the War Cabinet definitely stated that India was not to be included, and I therefore made no mention of India in the draft. I think with all respect to the War Cabinet that this is a mistake, and I would hope it might be reconsidered. India was a separate signatory of the Treaty of Versailles; and, as you will remember, the Secretary of State for India represented India at the St. James’s Palace Conference. Amery also represented Burma on the latter occasion.

3. What about the Free French? I have left them out, as they are not an actual Government. But, as you will see from the White Paper attached,⁴ at the St. James’s Palace Conference the names of the Free French representatives were included in distinctive form at the end of the list of the Allied delegates. In spite of St. Pierre and Miquelon, I should like to see Free French representatives associated with the Declaration and undertaking on behalf of the Free French movement to observe its principles.

4. You will no doubt arrange with the President about quickest means of securing assent of Allies and Dominions to the draft when agreed.

H.

[Attachment]⁵

Draft Joint Declaration

The Governments of the United States of America, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Dominion of Canada, the Commonwealth of Australia, the Dominion of New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, Belgium, China, Czecho-Slovakia, Greece, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and Yugo-Slavia,

Having subscribed to a common programme of purposes and principles embodied in the Joint Declaration of the President of the United States of America and the Prime Minister of Great Britain dated August 14th, 1941 and known as the Atlantic Charter,

Being convinced that the complete and world-wide victory of all the Governments is essential to defend and preserve life, liberty and independence as well as the righteous possibilities of human freedom, justice, and social security not only in their own lands but throughout the world, and that the struggle in which they are now engaged is the common defense of human decencies everywhere against savage and brutal force seeking to subjugate the world, declare:

1. Each Government pledges itself to employ its full resources against the Axis forces of conquest and to continue such employment until these forces have been finally defeated;

2. Each Government pledges itself to the other Governments associated in this Declaration to effect the full coordination of its military effort and the use of its resources against the common enemies;

3. Each Government pledges itself to continue war against, and not to make a separate peace with the common enemies or any of them.

Other Governments desirous of associating themselves with this Declaration are hereby privileged to accede to it.

1. The source text is a copy given to Hopkins.
2. Supra.
3. See British Cmd. 6315, Miscellaneous No. 3 (1041): Inter-Allied Meeting Held in London at St. James’s Palace on September 24, 1941, Report of Proceedings (London: H.M. Stationery Office, 1941).
4. No “White Paper” was attached to the source text but the reference is probably to the Command Paper identified in the preceding footnote.

5. A small note by Halifax attached to the draft reads as follows:

   • “1. Draft follows President’s first alternative text almost exactly, except for (a) one or two verbal changes to avoid repetition; and (b) inclusion of War Cabinet’s point about ‘social security’.
   • “2. It includes the point about ‘No Separate Peace’”.

   From textual evidence, the “first alternative text” seems to have been the draft of December 14, ante, p. 11.