Roosevelt Papers
Memorandum Initialed by President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill1
At a conference between the President and the Prime Minister upon the best measures to prevent renewed rearmament by Germany, it was felt that an essential feature was the future disposition of the Ruhr and the Saar.
[Page 467]The ease with which the metallurgical, chemical and electric industries in Germany can be converted from peace to war has already been impressed upon us by bitter experience. It must also be remembered that the Germans have devastated a large portion of the industries of Russia and of other neighbouring Allies, and it is only in accordance with justice that these injured countries should, be entitled to remove the machinery they require in order to repair the losses they have suffered. The industries referred to in the Ruhr and in the Saar would therefore be necessarily put out of action and closed down. It was felt that the two districts should be put under some body under the world organization which2 would supervise the dismantling of these industries and make sure that they were not started up again by some subterfuge.
This programme for eliminating the war-making industries in the Ruhr and in the Saar is looking forward to converting Germany into a country primarily agricultural and pastoral in its character.
The Prime Minister and the President were in agreement upon this programme.
[Quebec,] September 15, 1944.
- See ante, p. 361. Roosevelt telegraphed the text of this memorandum to Hull on September 15, 1944. See ante, p. 391.↩
- As typed, this passage read “put under somebody under the world organization who”. The changes on the source text to “some body” and “which” were made in an unidentified handwriting.↩
- The “OK” on the source text and Roosevelt’s initials are in the President’s handwriting. Churchill’s initials and the date “15.9” are in the Prime Minister’s handwriting.↩