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

740.00119 Potsdam/7–1445

No. 470
The Assistant Secretary of State ( Dunn ) to the Secretary of State ¹

[Extracts]²

secret

Potsdam , July 14, 1945.

Memorandum for the Secretary

Sir Alexander Cadogan, Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign Office, called this afternoon and discussed for two hours in a preliminary way a number of matters on the agenda of the Conference.³

. . . . . . .

9. Italy .

Sir Alexander stated that his government agreed with ours in wishing to conclude peace with Italy and that the Foreign Office has been working on a draft for a treaty. He showed no enthusiasm for bringing the Italian treaty before the Council of Foreign Ministers; he wishes first to show the UK draft to us. He agreed that early elections were desirable, to be held in 1945 if possible.

Sir Alexander laid emphasis on the importance of drawing Italy closer to the “West” and of enabling her to rebuild her army sufficiently to keep order at home and resist aggression from without. Sir Alexander assumed that Italy would receive economic help principally from the United States and from UNRRA.

. . . . . . .

James Clement Dunn

1. Printed from a carbon copy on which there is an uncertified typed signature.
2. For other extracts from this memorandum, see documents Nos. 140, 218, 234, 258, 319, 351, 379, 404, 519, 635, 645, 678, and 708.
3. For a list of persons present at this meeting, see document No. 234, footnote 3.