Office of the Historian

740.00119 (Potsdam)/7–3045

No. 731
Proposal by the United States Delegation1
[Babelsberg,] July 30, 1945.

Admission to the United Nations

U. S. Proposal

The Three Governments consider it desirable that the present anomalous position of Italy, Bulgaria, Finland, Hungary and Rumania should be terminated by the conclusion of Peace Treaties, so that as soon as possible thereafter relations between them and the ex-enemy States can, where necessary, be reestablished on a normal footing. They trust that the other interested Allied Governments will share these views.

For their part the Three Governments have included the preparation of a Peace Treaty with Italy as the first among the immediate important tasks to be undertaken by the new Council of Foreign Ministers. Italy was the first of the Axis Powers to break with Germany, to whose defeat she has made a material contribution, and has now joined with the Allies in the struggle against Japan. Italy has freed herself from the Fascist regime and is making good progress towards the reestablishment of a democratic government and institutions. The conclusion of such a Peace Treaty with a recognized and democratic Italian Government will make it possible for the Three Governments to fulfil their desire to support an application from Italy for membership of the United Nations.

The Three Governments have also charged the Council of Foreign Ministers with the task of preparing Peace Treaties for Bulgaria, Finland, Hungary and Rumania. The conclusion of Peace Treaties with recognized democratic Governments in these States will also [Page 630] enable the Three Governments to support applications from them for membership of the United Nations. The three Governments agree to examine each separately in the near future, in the light of the conditions then prevailing, the establishment of diplomatic relations with Finland, Rumania, Bulgaria, and Hungary to the extent possible prior to the ratification2 of peace treaties with these countries.

The three Governments express the desire3 that in view of the changed conditions resulting from the termination of the war in Europe, representatives of the Allied press shall4 enjoy full freedom to report to the world upon developments in Rumania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Finland.

As regards the admission of other states into the United Nations Organization, Article 4 of the Charter of the United Nations declared that:

1.
Membership in the United Nations is open to all other peace-loving States who accept the obligations contained in the present Charter and, in the judgment of the organization, are able and willing to carry out these obligations;
2.
the admission of any such State to membership in the United Nations will be effected by a decision of the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council.

The Three Governments, so far as they are concerned, will support applications for membership from those States which have remained neutral during the war and which fulfil the qualifications set out above.

The Three Governments feel bound however to make it clear that they for their part would not favor any application for membership put forward by the present Spanish Government, which, having been founded with the support of the Axis Powers, does not, in view of its origins, its nature, its record and its close association with the aggressor States, possess the qualifications necessary to justify such membership.

  1. Attachment 1c to the summary of the Tenth Meeting of the Foreign Ministers, July 30. See ante, pp. 485, 497. Byrnes had given Molotov a copy of this proposal at a private meeting immediately preceding the Tenth Meeting of the Foreign Ministers. See ante, p. 480.↩
  2. On a second copy of attachment 1c to the summary of the Tenth Meeting of the Foreign Ministers (file No. 740.00119 (Potsdam)/7–3045), the word “ratification” has been changed to “conclusion” in Byrnes’ handwriting.↩
  3. On the copy referred to in the preceding footnote, the words “express the desire” have been changed to “do not doubt” in Byrnes’ handwriting. See ante, pp. 514, 520.↩
  4. On the copy referred to in footnote 2, ante, the word “shall” has been changed to “will” in Byrnes’ handwriting. See ante, p. 520.↩