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

740.00119 Potsdam/7–1445

No. 519
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

. . . . . . .

4. German-Polish Frontier.

Sir Alexander referred to the great economic problems raised by the Poles’ territorial claims, particularly with regard to supplying food from Eastern Germany and coal from Silesia, and handed me a statement of the British view regarding Poland’s western frontier (see attachment). The British are willing to see East Prussia, Danzig, the most eastern part of Pomerania (not as far as the Oder River) and Upper Silesia placed under permanent Polish administration now; if Russia insisted upon a larger area going to Poland, she should accept a proportionate reduction in her share of German reparation. Sir Alexander maintained that his government had never approved any cessions to Poland beyond those listed above, and expressed opposition to the Oder–Neisse line, which would raise to between ten and twelve million the number of Germans subject to transfer. …

. . . . . . .

James Clement Dunn

[Attachment]

[Babelsberg, July 14, 1945.⁴]

Poland’s Western Frontier

We should make it plain that we cannot acquiesce in the Soviet Government’s interpretation of the situation. We should not be content with merely going on record as withholding our consent to the present situation. It is therefore proposed that we indicate our willingness

(i) to reach an understanding with the Soviet Government on a reasonable Western Frontier for Poland (which will necessarily be well short of her present claims and should in my view not exceed the free city of Danzig, East Prussia South and West of Koenigsberg, Oppeln Silesia and the most Eastern portion of Pomerania) and;

(ii) to agree, subject to the necessary concurrence of the French Provisional Government, to the transfer of the territories to the East of such a frontier to permanent Polish administration, subject to ratification when the final peace settlement on this question is made.

It is further proposed that if we fail to reach agreement with the Soviet Government on an acceptable compromise on these lines, we should indicate

(i) that we shall be willing to give our formal consent to the transfer to the administration of the Polish Provisional Government of National Unity only of such German territories as all four controlling powers are prepared to allow Poland to acquire permanently.

(ii) that if the Soviet Government insist nevertheless upon handing over parts of Germany to Poland without our consent, thus reducing the capacity of Germany as a whole to pay reparations, we shall be obliged to insist upon the proportionate reduction in Russia’s share of reparations from Germany. His Majesty’s Government would, if necessary be prepared to inform the Soviet Government that we shall not allow them any reparations deliveries from the American and British zones in Germany, unless these issues are settled to our satisfaction.

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, 470, 635, 645, 678, and 708.
3. For a list of persons present at this meeting, see document No. 234, footnote 3.
4. This document bears the following typed notation: “(Handed to Mr. Dunn by Sir Alexander Cadogan, July 14, 1945)”.