Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, The Conference of Berlin (The Potsdam Conference), 1945, Volume I

Truman Papers

No. 262
Memorandum by the Assistant to the President’s Naval Aide (Elsey)¹

top secret

[Undated.]

Canals

Suez—Panama—Kiel

There has been no reference to the free use of the Suez and Panama Canals in President Roosevelt’s and President Truman’s messages and papers in the Map Room.

Churchill reported to President Roosevelt, following his meeting with Stalin in Moscow in October 1944, that Stalin wanted the internationalization of the Kiel Canal and that he agreed with Stalin.² Churchill gave no details of his conversations with Stalin on Kiel. The subject was not discussed at Yalta and has not been mentioned since in President Roosevelt’s or President Truman’s messages.

G. M. Elsey

1. Submitted to Leahy July 1 and subsequently forwarded to Truman.
2. See Foreign Relations, The Conferences at Malta and Yalta, 1945, p. 160.