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

J. C. S. Files

Combined Chiefs of Staff Minutes

Potsdam, July 20, 1945

top secret

1. Approval of the Minutes of the 197th Meeting of the Combined Chiefs of Staff, 20 July 1945

The Combined Chiefs of Staff:—

a. Approved the conclusions of the C. C. S. 197th Meeting subject to the amendment² of conclusion b. under item 2 to read as follows:

“Took note that the British Chiefs of Staff would take steps to obtain the agreement of the Australian, New Zealand, and Dutch Governments to the proposed reallocation of areas and command setup in Southwest Pacific and Southeast Asia.”

b. Approved the detailed report of the meeting, subject to:

(1) The amendment of the 3d paragraph under item 2 to read as follows:

“General Marshall said that the United States Chiefs of Staff were prepared to accept the directive on the understanding that the British Chiefs of Staff would be responsible for obtaining the approval of the Australian, New Zealand, and Dutch Governments to the proposed reallocation of areas and command set-up in Southwest Pacific and Southeast Asia, since these governments had been party to the original arrangements.”

(2) Any later minor amendments.

2. Basic Objectives, Strategy, and Policies
(C. C. S. 877,³ 877/1, 877/2, 877/4, and 877/5⁴)

Sir Alan Brooke said that the British Chiefs of Staff had considered C. C. S. 877/5 and had come to the conclusion that the matter had now reached a stage which was outside the scope of the British Chiefs of Staff. He said that the hands of the British Chiefs of Staff were bound just as were those of the United States Chiefs of Staff. He regretted, therefore, that nothing further could be done in the matter until a decision had been reached on a higher level. He requested that the matter be deferred until such time as a decision on a higher level was forthcoming.

The Combined Chiefs of Staff:—

Agreed to defer consideration of C. C. S. 877/5.

3. British Troopship Employment in U. S. Trans-Atlantic Programs, First Half of 1946
(C. C. S. 679/7⁵)

The Combined Chiefs of Staff:—

Agreed to defer consideration of this matter.

4. Disposition of Captured German Passenger Ships
(C. C. S. 679/6⁶)

The Combined Chiefs of Staff:—

Agreed to defer consideration of this matter.

2. This amendment and the following one have been made in the minutes of the 197th Meeting as printed ante, pp. 161–162.
3. See vol. i, document No. 600, footnote 1.
4. Documents Nos. 600 and 601, printed in vol. i, and documents Nos. 1263 and 1264, post, respectively.
5. Document No. 1191, post.
6. Document No. 1190, post.