Foreign Relations of the United States, Conference at Quebec, 1944

J.C.S. Files

Note by the Secretaries of the Combined Chiefs of Staff

top secret
C.C.S. 654/8

[Quebec,] 12 September 1944.

Basic Policies for the “Octagon” Conference

1. The Combined Chiefs of Staff have agreed¹ on ail the basic policies for inclusion in the final Octagon report to the President and the Prime Minister, with one exception.

2. This exception is as follows:

a. The British Chiefs of Staff have proposed the following as paragraph 6 (i) of C.C.S. 654:²

“Reorient forces from the European Theater to the Pacific and Far East as a matter of highest priority, having regard to other inescapable commitments, as soon as the German situation allows.”

b. The United States Chiefs of Staff have proposed that this paragraph should read as follows:

“Reorient forces from the European Theater to the Pacific and Far East, as a matter of highest priority, having regard to other agreed commitments, as soon as the German situation allows.”

3. The decision of the Combined Chiefs of Staff on this wording is requested.³

A. J. McFarland
A. T. Cornwall-Jones

Combined Secretariat

1. By action taken informally and in their final meeting at Washington before the Second Quebec Conference.
2. Ante, p. 219.
3. For the wording agreed upon by the Combined Chiefs of Staff at their 173d Meeting, September 13, 1944, see ante, p. 322.