740.00119 Potsdam/7–2645
The First Secretary of Embassy in Portugal (Cannon) to the Director of European Affairs (Matthews)2
Memorandum
The third meeting of the Committee to consider the second and third points of the paper on Liberated Europe was held this afternoon.
On point 2 (freedom of the press) we could only reaffirm that the divergence between our position, generally supported by the British, [Page 418] and the Soviet position left no alternative but to report the disagreement back to the respective Foreign Ministers. The British representative (Mr. Hayter) attempted to put through a new text,3 but even this, a watered-down modification of ours, was rejected by the Russians (Mr. Gromyko and Mr. Golunski). The Russian proposal, attached hereto,4 is of course impossible. The first paragraph is just not true, and the second paragraph talks only of better facilities for foreign correspondents, subject to “security” restrictions which Mr. Gromyko admitted may involve political censorship. The text ignores completely the question of freedom of the domestic press.
On point 3 (procedures of the Allied Control Commissions in Rumania, Bulgaria, and Hungary) the Russians repeated their earlier argument that this is now superfluous in view of their proposals made in the respective capitals which would grant us and the British a better position.5 After a brief discussion of the points requiring elucidation it was clear that there will not be time to work out all these details during the present Conference. We finally drew up a statement to be shown to our respective delegations, as a basis for the discussion at tomorrow’s meeting. It reads as follows:
“The Three Governments have taken note that the Soviet Representative on the Allied Control Commissions in Rumania, Bulgaria, and Hungary have communicated to their United Kingdom and United States colleagues proposals for improving the work of the Control Commissions, now that hostilities in Europe have ceased. These proposals include provisions for regular and frequent meetings of the three representatives, improved facilities for British and American representatives, and prior joint consideration of directives. Subject to elaboration of details which will be worked out through diplomatic channels the three Governments consider that these proposals constitute a basis for the future work of the Allied Control Commissions, taking into account the interests and responsibilities of the three Governments which together presented the terms of armistice to the respective countries.”
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Printed from an unsigned carbon copy. For the passages omitted here, see document No. 819, post.
To this memorandum is attached a carbon copy of the following summary:
↩“Implementation of the Yalta Declaration on Liberated Europe
“Original paper presented by United States.
“Point 1 (Elections) warmly discussed and held over without agreement.
“Point 2 (Freedom of the Press) and Point 3 (Revision of Allied Control Commission Procedures) discussed with wide difference of opinion but referred to a sub-committee (Mr. Gromyko, Chairman). See underlying memorandum for the information of our Delegation.”
- Not found.↩
- Document No. 750, post.↩
- See document No. 309, printed in vol. i, and documents Nos. 796 and 797, post.↩