The British Minister (Campbell) to
President Roosevelt
28
Washington, September 18,
1943.
Dear Mr. President: I have just received a
telegram from Mr. Eden containing the text of our agenda for the Foreign
Ministers’ Conference. In a further telegram Mr. Eden explains the
reasons for the changes made from the earlier text, most of which are
designed to take account of the comments made by the State Department.
Mr. Eden instructs me to communicate to you, and also to the State
Department, the text of the agenda and his explanations. I add a copy of
the earlier text for ease of reference.
Believe me [etc.]
[Enclosure 1]
Text of telegram from Mr. Eden to His Majesty’s
Ambassador at Moscow dated September 18th, 194329
My immediately preceding telegram. Following is text of our
agenda.30
Begins.
- 1.
- Exchange of views of the situation in Italy and the
Balkans.
- 2.
- The setting up of machinery for dealing with questions
requiring current and close collaboration, with particular
reference to functions and scope of politico-military commission
in Algiers.31
- 3.
- Question of joint responsibility for Europe as against
separate areas of responsibility.
- 4.
- Relations between the U. S. S. R. and Poland and policy in
relation to Poland generally.
- 5.
- Question of agreement between major and minor allies on post
war questions.
- 6.
- Agreement in principle in regard to treatment of Germany and
other enemy countries in Europe.
- (a)
- During the Armistice period, e. g. under any
commission, etc.
- (b)
- At peace settlement, e. g. frontiers, military
occupation, disarmament, reparations, decentralization
of the German Government, etc.
- 7.
- Common policy towards Turkey.
- 8.
- Common policy towards resistance movement in
Yugoslavia.
- 9.
- Peace feelers from enemy states.
- 10.
- Attitude towards the French Committee with special reference
to its position in Metropolitan France and establishment of
eventual French Government.
- 11.
- Future of Poland, Greece, Danubian and Balkan countries,
including the question of confederations.
- 12.
- Common policy in Persia.
- 13.
- Post war economic collaboration with the U. S. S. R.
Ends.
[Enclosure 2]
Text of telegram received from Mr. Eden dated
September 18th
You should explain to the State Department that we naturally take
account of their comments and that for reasons set out below the
following further changes have been made in our agenda:
- (a)
- The cross headings (A) (B) and (C) are confusing and have
been omitted.
- (b)
- Item 2. This combines B(1) and B(10) of our original
agenda.
- (c)
- Item 5. This is intended to cover the question of proposed
Soviet-Czech treaty and any similar situations that may
arise in the future.
- (d)
- Item 9. This item has been inserted to cover all peace
feelers including those from Finland.
- (e)
- Item 13 is new but clearly unobjectionable.
- 2.
- Following items have been omitted from our original agenda:
- (a)
- B(2). We agree with American comment, and policy
towards liberated territories is already being dealt
with apart from the Conference.
- (b)
- B(8). We do not wish to raise this point ourselves but
Stalin raised it in 1941 and we must therefore be
prepared to deal with it again.
- (c)
- C(1). This has already been settled.
- (d)
- C(4). This item appears in the American agenda and we
do not propose to duplicate it though we shall probably
wish to raise the
[Page 527]
question of procedure for handling
of post war civil aviation under item 3 (d) of the American agenda.
- 3.
- I should be glad to know whether the Americans intend to
circulate any papers. We should be particularly interested to
know what they have in mind as regards item 3 (c) and 3 (d) of their agenda in
order to consider what preparations we should make for
discussions on these items. I am contemplating the possibility
of circulating brief memos accenting particular points which we
consider require scrutiny, in those of our items where this
course would appear useful and possibly draft proposals in the
case of a few of them.
[Enclosure 3]
A. Military. …… Italian and Balkan situations.
B. Political issues which may arise as the war
progresses.
- 1.
- Functions, scope and location of proposed Three-Power
Commission.
- 2.
- Common policy to prevent Allied territories evacuated by
Germans from falling into chaos in the absence of liberating
Allied armies.
- 3.
- Common policy towards resistance movements in
Yugoslavia.
- 4.
- Resumption of relations with Poland, constitution of union of
Polish patriots, and general policy in relation to
Poland.
- 5.
- Attitude towards French committee with special reference to
its position in metropolitan France, and establishment of
eventual French Government.
- 6.
- Policy towards Turkey and question of our modifying our
relations with her.
- 7.
- Question of getting Finland out of the war.
- 8.
- Post-war control of the entrance to the Baltic (Stalin raised
this in 1941).
- 9.
- Policy towards Persia.
- 10.
- Setting up of special machinery for dealing promptly and
jointly with questions requiring current and close
collaboration.
C. Political problems after the termination of
hostilities.
- 1.
- Proposed Four-Power declaration.
- 2.
- Question of joint responsibility for Europe as against
separate spheres of influence.
- 3.
- Treatment of Germany and other enemy countries.
- (a)
- During the armistice period, e. g. control commission,
etc.
- (b)
- At the peace settlement, e.g. frontiers, military
occupation, reparations, decentralization of German
government, etc.
- 4.
- Possibility of Soviet co-operation in international bodies
dealing with such matters as finance, transport, aviation, etc.,
and I. L. O.
- 5.
- Economic matters insofar as this is possible as a result of
present talks in Washington about Article VII.
- 6.
- Future of Poland and Danubian and Balkan countries, including
question of confederation.
