Foreign Relations of the United States, Conferences at Washington and Quebec, 1943

740.0011 EW/8–2143

Department of State Minutes¹

August 21, 1943, 1 p.m.

secret

Mr. Eden said that he had several minor points he wished to bring up and spoke of the following:

1. Palestine Declaration²

Mr. Eden said that some further information had been given to him by the British military authorities with regard to this, which he handed to the Secretary in a memorandum.³

2. Civilian Administration in Liberated Areas

There was some discussion of this matter, and Mr. Eden asked that a draft be prepared for further study with the view to a possible statement explaining the form in which this would be taken care of in liberated areas as opposed to military government in enemy conquered areas.⁴

3. Surrender Conditions for Italy

There was some discussion on this matter also and it was decided that the present form of instructions which had been given by the Combined Chiefs of Staff to General Eisenhower⁵ were satisfactory for the moment, but that a further study would be given to the document known as “the long formula” or comprehensive formula of conditions⁶ for possible use at some future time.

4. Dependent Peoples

The Secretary brought this question up again, but Mr. Eden did not appear to be ready to discuss it.

5. The French National Committee of Liberation

Mr. Eden asked whether there had been any fresh lights on the matter of recognition of the French National Committee, and proceeded to again set forth the British position. The general conversation which followed brought no new light on the situation.

When the Secretary had given a very reasoned resume of the American position Mr. Eden went back to the necessity as he saw it for including the word “recognition” and even if this necessitated independent action by the two governments.

He did, however, adopt the suggestion of Mr. [Sir Alexander] Cadogan that of course the final decision would have to be made for the British by the Prime Minister.

1. Authorship not indicated. The source text has been stamped “Secret” and “Secret—Security”, but it is probable that these classifications were applied in the Department of State long after the Conference.
2. For background on the declaration referred to, see ante, p. 674.
3. Post, p. 1116.
4. For a United States paper on this subject dated August 22, 1943, see post, p. 1046.
5. For the “short” or “military” terms which had been sent to Eisenhower, see ante, pp. 519, 522, 565.
6. See ante, p. 539.