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

Truman Papers

United States Delegation Memorandum¹

Potsdam, July 19, 1945, 11 a.m.

Summary of Meeting of Foreign Ministers Thursday Morning, July 19

i. agenda of meeting of heads of governments

It was agreed that the following subjects should be recommended to the Heads of Governments for discussion this afternoon:

1. Authority of the Control Council for Germany in Political Questions.²

The redraft of the U. S. proposal³ on this subject drawn up by the

subcommittee named yesterday was approved by the Foreign Ministers and is ready for discussion by the Heads of Governments.

2. Polish Question.

A British paper on this subject was referred to a subcommittee for drafting changes. If the subcommittee is able to report by four o’clock, this question will be ready for discussion by the Heads of Governments this afternoon; otherwise, it will be held over until tomorrow.⁴

3. Disposition of German Fleet and Merchant Ships.

A Russian paper on this subject has been presented for discussion.⁵

4. Spain.

A Russian paper proposing a policy to be adopted by the three Governments toward the Franco regime has been presented for discussion.⁶

5. Implementation of the Yalta Declaration on Liberated Europe and Satellite States.

The paper on this subject presented by the President at the opening meeting of the Conference is recommended for discussion.⁷

6. Yugoslavia.

The British will raise the question of the implementation of the Yalta declaration on Yugoslavia and hope to have a paper ready on this subject.

7. British and U. S. Oil Interests in Rumania.

The British will raise this question and hope to have a paper ready for presentation.

ii. council of foreign ministers

The Foreign Ministers agreed that the document establishing a Council of Foreign Ministers, which was approved by the Heads of Governments yesterday, should be reconsidered and paragraph 3 thereof should be revised in such a way as to permit any member of the Council at war with a given state to participate in the peace settlement concerning that state, even if it was not a signatory of the armistice terms concluded with that state. It was understood that if a member of the Council was not at war with a given state, it might participate in the discussions of the peace settlement concerning that state but would not participate in the decisions connected with that peace settlement.

1. Authorship not indicated. Apparently this summary was before Truman during the Third Plenary Meeting.
2. Manuscript notation in the margin by Truman: “agreed to”.
3. For the documents referred to in this summary, see the footnotes to the Thompson minutes, supra.
4. Manuscript notation in the margin by Truman: “Tomorrow”.
5. Manuscript notation in the margin by Truman: “For future disposition”.
6. Manuscript notation at the end of the paragraph by Truman: “Postpone”.
7. Manuscript notation at the end of the paragraph by Truman: “Postponed”.