Lot 60–D 224, Box 55: D.O./P.R./33
Memorandum by the Under Secretary of State (Stettinius) to the Secretary of State
Subject: Progress Report on Dumbarton Oaks Conversations—Thirty-fifth Day
Final Plenary Session of American, British and Soviet Groups
(a) Approval of Text of Proposals
The final plenary session of the Russian phase of the conversations was held this afternoon at 3:00.47 The three groups gave their approval to the final draft of the proposals (draft of September 27), a copy of which was sent to you last night. The three chairmen then authenticated, in triplicate, official copies of the proposals for the files of their respective Governments.48
(b) Failure to Agree on October 9 Communiqué
I then read the two Communiqués,48a which cover, respectively, the adjournment of the Soviet phase of the conversations and the publication of the agreed proposals. The first of these two Communiqués is to be issued at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow49 and it is tentatively planned that the second communiqué will be issued by the respective governments, together with the text of the proposals, at 12:00 noon, Washington time, Monday, October 9.50
The texts of these two Communiqués were also approved, except for the last paragraph of the second communiqué. Ambassador Gromyko was unable to agree to Sir Alexander Cadogan’s proposal that this paragraph be broadened to include a reference to the lesser Allied governments as participating in the enforcement of surrender terms. It was subsequently agreed that this matter will have to be settled by direct exchange of views between Moscow and London. I made an earnest plea that agreement be reached promptly so as not to delay publication of the text of the agreed proposals.
(c) Concluding Remarks
I then made a few concluding remarks in which I said that I felt that because of the cordial cooperation of all the delegates much [Page 845] had been achieved in the brief period of six weeks. I expressed my appreciation for this cooperation and for the spirit of harmony and goodwill which has prevailed throughout the conversations. I further stressed the importance of early agreement among the three Governments on the few points that remain open. Ambassador Gromyko and Sir Alexander Cadogan then responded with similar and equally cordial concluding statements on behalf of their groups.
At the instance of the press officers of the respective groups, these concluding statements are being released to the press tomorrow along with the brief communiqué.
Arrangements for Chinese Phase of Conversations
(a) Opening Meeting Tomorrow
It has now been arranged that the opening session of the Chinese phase of the conversations will be held at 3:00 p.m. tomorrow, at which time Secretary Hull, Dr. Koo, and Sir Alexander Cadogan will make brief statements: As in the case of the opening of the Soviet phase of the conversations, on August 21, members of the press will be present.
(b) Next Meeting on Monday
At Dr. Koo’s suggestion there will be no meetings on Saturday. We are arranging to hand to Dr. Koo tomorrow for his preliminary examination several copies of the agreed proposals as they have emerged from the Soviet phase of the conversations. Dr. Koo informed me that he would like to use the weekend to consider the document and would not wish to express any views before Monday. Accordingly, there have been scheduled (a) for 10:00 a.m. Monday a meeting of the Joint Steering Committee (reconstituted with Chinese members substituted for Soviet members) to discuss procedure and (b) for 11:00 a.m. the first plenary business session of the three groups.
- For remarks by Under Secretary Stettinius, Ambassador Gromyko, and Sir Alexander Cadogan, see Department of State Bulletin, October 1, 1944, pp. 341–342.↩
- The ninth and final draft of the proposals, September 27, signed by all three Chairmen of the three Delegations, American, British, and Soviet, on September 28, not printed; the text is identical with that authenticated and signed on October 7 by the three Chairmen of the American, British, and Chinese Delegations, p. 890.↩
- Annexes 1 and 2, ante, p. 840.↩
- Department of State Bulletin, October 1, 1944, p. 342.↩
- For text of the second communiqué released to the press by the Department of State together with the text of the proposals on October 9, see p. 889.↩