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

J. C. S. Files

Joint Chiefs of Staff Minutes

Potsdam, July 23, 1945, 9:30 a.m.

[Extracts]

top secret

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4. Command in Indo-China
(C. C. S. 890/3²)

Admiral King read a memorandum³ relating to the approach by the United States and British Governments to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek in regard to the reallocation of the southern part of Indo-China to the Southeast Asia area.

General Marshall proposed the amendment of the statement in paragraph 3 of C. C. S. 890/3 which the British had recommended for inclusion in the final report to the President and the Prime Minister.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff:—

Approved the amendment to paragraph 3 of C. C. S. 890/3 proposed by General Marshall and directed that it be presented to the Combined Chiefs of Staff.⁴

7. Provision of Personnel Shipping for the Requirements of Allied Governments
(C. C. S. 897⁵)

The Joint Chiefs of Staff:—

Agreed to recommend that the Combined Chiefs of Staff approve the recommendation of the Combined Military Transportation Committee in paragraph 5 b of C. C. S. 897 subject to the amendment of Enclosure “A” as follows:

a. Substitute in paragraph 3 c “when satisfactory arrangements in regard to the movement of civilians cannot be” in lieu of “as regards the movement of civilians for which provision is not”.

b. In paragraph 5 delete the words “statement of”.

8. Report to the President and Prime Minister
(C. C. S. 900⁶)

The Joint Chiefs of Staff considered C. C. S. 900 and amended it in several particulars.

Admiral King stated that he considered that the United States Chiefs of Staff should insist on the inclusion under Section III of the numbered paragraphs now omitted from the final report to the President and Prime Minister, since the report should be complete and since the substitutes for these paragraphs dealing with rehabilitation did not come under the purview of the Combined Chiefs of Staff.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff:—

a. Agreed to recommend approval by the Combined Chiefs of Staff of the final report to the President and Prime Minister in the Enclosure to C. C. S. 900 as amended during the discussion.⁷

b. Agreed to recommend the inclusion under Section III of C. C. S. 900 of appropriate paragraphs as set forth by the United States Chiefs of Staff in the Enclosure to C. C. S. 877/5.⁸

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10. Policy in Regard to Lend-Lease Assignments

General Marshall asked Admiral Leahy if he had discussed with the President the question of Lend-Lease assignments to the United Nations.

Admiral Leahy said that he had discussed the question with the President and was trying to get him to change the basic directive on Lend-Lease to permit General Eisenhower to continue his present course of action. He believed that the President would approve the delivery of maintenance supplies to occupational forces in Europe but that he would not approve the delivery of arms and ammunition.

General Somervell said that he had proposed three policies which might be approved by the President, as follows:

(1) The support of that portion of the forces of such nations as in the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will be profitably employed against Japan in furtherance of our agreed strategy or for such other purposes connected with the war against Japan as may be approved by the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

(2) Supply of maintenance items for United States equipment now in possession of Allied Armies of occupation.

(3) Such exceptional military programs as the Joint Chiefs of Staff consider necessary for the successful prosecution of the war.

General Somervell said that if the President would approve these three policies as a substitute for the policy he had announced on 5 July 1945,⁹ the Chief of Staff of the Army could then issue specific directives for assignment of Lend-Lease to the countries concerned which would accord with the three policies established by the President. He said we are receiving demands from the British for maintenance supplies and that some means of providing them is necessary. He felt that some decision must be reached promptly in regard to the delivery of maintenance supplies in order that the production problem might be controlled.

Admiral Leahy said that he recognized that this problem must be settled and that perhaps some basis for barter with the British might be found. Possibly the supply of United States material against reimbursement as provided for in Section 3 c of the Lend-Lease Act¹⁰ would be the solution.

2. Document No. 1271, post.
3. Not printed.
4. At their 199th Meeting, July 23; see post, p. 294. For the amended paragraph included in the report to the President and the Prime Minister, see document No. 1381, post, paragraph 14.
5. Document No. 1192, post.
6. Not printed.
7. The draft report was further amended in the course of the 199th Meeting of the Combined Chiefs of Staff, July 23. See post, p. 294. The draft report, as thus further amended, was circulated on July 23 as the enclosure to C. C. S. 900/2. It is identical with the text of the report as approved on July 24 (document No. 1381, post) except as noted in the footnotes to that document and except that minor variations of punctuation, capitalization, and abbreviation have not been annotated.
8. Document No. 1264, post.
9. See vol. i, document No. 542.
10. 55 Stat. 31.