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

500.CC/5–1445

No. 8
Memorandum by the Acting Secretary of State

[Extracts]¹

secret

[Washington,] May 14, 1945.

Memorandum of Conversation

Subject: Conference with the President, 2:30 p.m.

Participants:	The President, Mr. Anthony Eden, Mr. Attlee, Mr. John Balfour, and Admiral Leahy;
	Acting Secretary, Mr. Grew

At the President’s expressed wish, I attended the conference this afternoon between the President, Mr. Anthony Eden, Mr. Attlee, Mr. John Balfour, and Admiral Leahy.

. . . . . . .

(2) Polish problem, and Big-Three meeting.

There was some discussion of the Polish problem but Mr. Eden felt that no solution of the problem could be expected until there could be a meeting between the President, the Prime Minister and Stalin, which the Prime Minister hoped could take place as early as possible. The President said that, having been brought unexpectedly in[to] this job, he had many difficulties to contend with and he could not leave Washington before the end of the fiscal year on June 30, especially as he would have to be in touch with the Congress with regard to the budget. He said that he hoped a meeting could be arranged as soon as possible thereafter, perhaps early in July.

. . . . . . .

J[oseph] C. G[rew]

1. For another extract from this memorandum of conversation, see Joseph C. Grew, Turbulent Era: A Diplomatic Record of Forty Years, 1904–1945 (Boston, 1952), vol. ii, p. 1480.