Office of the Historian

740.00119 (Potsdam)/7–1845

No. 712
Report by the Subcommittee on the Council of Foreign Ministers1

top secret
[Potsdam, July 18, 1945.]

I.

Procedure for Peace Settlements

(1)
The draft proposal2 for the establishment of a Council of Foreign Ministers, presented by the United States, was approved in principle.
(2)
The following redraft of paragraph 3 of the United States draft was approved:

“(3) As its immediate important task, the Council would be authorized to draw up, with a view to their submission to the United Nations, treaties of peace with Italy, Rumania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Finland, and to propose settlements of territorial questions outstanding on the termination of the war in Europe. The Council shall be utilized for the preparation of a peace settlement for Germany to be accepted by the Government of Germany when a government adequate for the purpose is established.

For the discharge of each of these tasks the Council will be composed of the Members representing those States which were signatory to the Terms of Surrender imposed upon the enemy State concerned.*

Other matters may from time to time be referred to the Council by agreement between the States Members thereof.”3

(3)
The Soviet Delegation reserved the right to suggest a change in the first paragraph of the United States Draft.
(4)
It was agreed that the meetings of the three Foreign Ministers approved at the Yalta Conference4 would not be affected by the establishment of the new Council of Foreign Ministers, though they might at times be held simultaneously with meetings of the Council.
(5)
It was agreed that the functions of the European Advisory Commission would, after agreement with France, be transferred to the Allied Control Councils (for Germany and Austria).
[Page 612]
[Annex5]

Council of Five Foreign Ministers

Alternative Drafts Considered by Drafting Committees

A. (Accepted by U. S. and British members of Drafting Committee).

For the discharge of each of these tasks the conclusions of the Council will be prepared for submission to the United Nations by those members who represent States which are at war with the enemy State concerned, but other members may be invited to participate in the Council’s discussions.

B. (Proposed by Soviet member of Drafting Committee).

For the discharge of each of these tasks the Council will be composed of the members representing those States which were signatory to the terms of surrender imposed upon the enemy State concerned, but other members may be invited to participate in the Council’s discussions.6

C. (Possible compromise).

For the discharge of each of these tasks the Council will be composed of the members representing those States which were signatory to the terms of surrender imposed upon the enemy State concerned. For the purposes of the peace settlement for Italy, France shall be regarded as a signatory to the terms of surrender for Italy.

Other members should be invited to participate when matters of interest to7 them are under discussion.8

  1. Submitted during the course of the First Meeting of the Foreign Ministers, July 18. See ante, p. 70.↩
  2. Document No. 711.↩
  3. For alternative texts considered by drafting committee see annex. [Footnote in the original.]↩
  4. This text of paragraph 3, with the notation “Text Submitted by the Drafting Committee as Amended and Approved”, constitutes attachment 1 to the minutes of the First Meeting of the Foreign Ministers, July 18. See ante, p. 70.↩
  5. See document No. 1417, section viii.↩
  6. Not annexed to the file copy; supplied from the Truman Papers.↩
  7. Alternatives A and B have been marked out in pencil, and the marginal notation “Decided” has been entered opposite them.↩
  8. The words “of interest to” have been changed by hand to read “directly concerning”.↩
  9. At the end of the paper is the following manuscript notation by Truman: “Agreed to”.↩