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

740.00119 (Potsdam)/7–2145

No. 748
Proposal by the United States Delegation¹

top secret

[Babelsberg, July 21, 1945.]

Implementation of the Yalta Declaration on Liberated Europe

The Three Governments agree upon the following steps of immediate urgency in the implementation of the Yalta Declaration on Liberated Europe:

1. In conformity with the obligations contained in clause (d) of the third paragraph of the Declaration on Liberated Europe the three Governments agree to adopt adequate measures to enable them to become informed of proposed electoral procedures, and to provide for the observation of elections, in Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, Rumania and Hungary for the choice of Governments responsive to the will of the people.

2. The three Governments agree that in view of the cessation of hostilities in Europe measures should now be adopted to assure prompt and effective procedures to facilitate the entry of representatives of the world press and radio into liberated or former Axis satellite states, and to permit of their freedom of movement, and to afford adequate opportunity for the despatch of their reports without restriction by reason of political censorship, thus providing to world public opinion the basis for an enlightened interest in the welfare and progress of these peoples and a knowledge of the conditions in which they seek to re-establish their ties with other peoples; further, that the three Governments express their desire to see removed, within the countries in question, such restrictions on freedom of the press as may have been imposed to prevent access to news from abroad or the dissemination of news and expression of opinion.

3. The three Governments agree that the Control Commissions in Rumania, Bulgaria and Hungary, in acknowledgment of the changed conditions since the cessation of hostilities in Europe, will henceforth operate on a tri-partite basis under revised procedures providing for tri-partite participation, taking into account the interests and responsibilities of the three Governments which together presented the terms of armistice to the respective countries.

1. This paper, undated, is apparently the proposal on this subject submitted by Byrnes at the Fourth Meeting of the Foreign Ministers, July 21. See ante, p. 194. It is certainly the American draft before the Fifth Meeting of the Foreign Ministers, July 22, and before a subcommittee which met July 22. See ante, pp. 228, 268.