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

800.0146/8–2243

Proposal by the United States Delegation¹

Quebec Conference, 22 August 1943.

Statement on Liberated Areas

1. The Governments of the United States and United Kingdom, necessarily by reason of their military operations in enemy territory, must assume the major responsibility for the administration of enemy territories conquered by their forces in pursuance of the war against the Axis.

2. The Governments of the United States and the United Kingdom, while continuing to exercise supreme military authority in liberated areas pending the defeat of the enemy, will be agreeable to the policy of each government and constituted authorities of the United Nations in their respective liberated countries proceeding with its function² of maintaining law and order with such assistance by the Allied authorities as may be necessary, subject always to military requirements.

Conversations and arrangements with the governments of those countries have already been in progress for some time on these aspects of the mutual interests involved.

1. For the discussion of this paper at the Roosevelt–Churchill meeting of August 22, 1943, see ante, p. 931.
2. During the discussion of this paper on August 22, 1943, this passage was changed to read: “the policy of the governments and constituted authorities of the United Nations in their respective liberated countries proceeding with the function”. Cf. Foreign Relations, 1943, vol. i, p. 518. Concerning the decision to postpone issuance of this statement and the later decision not to issue it at all, see ibid., p. 517, fn. 14, and p. 524, fn. 27. A new British draft on the subject was subsequently referred to the European Advisory Commission. See ibid., pp. 651–652, 738–739, 754.