740.00119 Potsdam/7–2345
United States Delegation Memorandum 1
Summary of Meeting of Foreign Ministers Monday Morning, July 23, 1945
1. Reparations by Germany, Austria and Italy.
Discussion of this question was postponed in order to enable the Economic Subcommittee to study two new papers on the subject presented by the Soviet Delegation.2
2. German Economic Questions.
The Soviet [Delegation] objected to paragraph 18 of the proposed agreement on economic principles, stating that each occupation zone should so far as practicable draw its supplies from the areas in Germany from which it had drawn before the war. It was agreed that this question should be referred to the Heads of Governments.
The Soviet Delegation presented a draft of a new paragraph 19 dealing with comparative priority between reparations and exports from Germany in payment of imports. Since no agreement could be reached on this question it was also referred to the Heads of Governments.
3. Council of Foreign Ministers.
The revised text on this subject was given final approval.
4. Trusteeship.
It was agreed that the disposition of the Italian colonies would be discussed by the Council of Foreign Ministers in connection with the negotiation of the peace settlement with Italy.
5. Directive to Military Commanders in Germany.
A subcommittee was named to prepare directives to the respective military commanders in Germany embodying the decisions of this conference and to make recommendations as to the manner of consulting the French in regard thereto.
6. Cooperation in Solving Immediate European Economic Problems.
A subcommittee was named to deal with this problem.
7. Iran .
It was agreed that this question should be discussed by the Heads of Governments.
[Page 289]8. Tangier.
The Foreign Ministers agreed to the first paragraph of the Soviet paper on this subject stating that Tangier should remain international. It was also agreed that the three Governments would participate with France in preliminary discussions of this question to be held in Paris in the very near future and that the other matters raised in [the] Soviet paper would be discussed at that time.
9. Telegram to the Chinese and French Governments concerning the Council of Foreign Ministers.
The draft telegram on this subject was approved without change. It was agreed that these telegrams should be dispatched 48 hours before the issuance of the communiqué at the conclusion of this Conference.
10. Agenda for this afternoon’s meeting of the Heads of Governments.
It was agreed to recommend to the Heads of Governments that the following subjects should constitute their agenda this afternoon.
- (1)
- Turkey. A Soviet paper on the Black Sea Straits was circulated yesterday.
- (2)
- The Transfer to the Soviet Union of the Koenigsberg area in East Prussia. A Soviet paper on this subject was circulated yesterday.
- (3)
- Syria and Lebanon.
- (4)
- Iran. British paper on this subject has been circulated.