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

Pauley Files

No. 1326
The Representative on the Allied Commission on Reparations ( Pauley ) to the Deputy Military Governor, United States Zone in Germany ( Clay )¹

[Extract]

Berlin , August 4, 1945.

Memorandum for General Clay

At a meeting of The Big Three Conference the United States introduced a proposal² in which the Soviet Government was asked to deliver from Rumania, Hungary and Austria 50,000 barrels of crude oil or refined oil products per day into the Western Zone of Occupation beginning September 1, 1945. This introduction was made at the request of the Army and the Petroleum Administration for War and referred to the Economic Subcommittee of which I was a member. Although we pushed this to the greatest extent we received no affirmative answer from the Soviet Government.

The Soviet representatives in their last report to The Big Three made the following official report:³

“The Soviet representatives indicate that they have not yet received full information as to such possibility, although their preliminary data suggest the absence of any substantial surplus in the producing areas. They indicate that they will explore the matter further and report at a later date.”

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1. Printed from an unsigned carbon copy.
2. Document No. 1320.
3. Cf. document No. 1322.