Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, Conferences at Malta and Yalta, 1945

Hiss Collection

United States Delegation Memorandum¹

[Yalta,] February 8, 1945.

List of Items Referred to Foreign Ministers

1. Inclusion of Ukraine, White Russia and Lithuania among initial members of the Organization. (See attached paper)

2. Date and place of United Nations Conference.

3. Nations to be invited to United Nations Conference.

Emphasize membership should include all signatories of United Nations Declaration—not just the specific, listed countries which have already signed.

(See attached list)

4. The policy toward Iran. (See attached paper)

[Attachment 1]

[Yalta,] February 8, 1945.

Arguments Against Inclusion of Any of the Soviet Republics Among the Initial Members²

1. Soviet Republics not Signatories of the United Nations Declaration:

On further thought we have become impressed with the Soviet view that the initial members of the United Nations Organization should be the signatories of the United Nations Declaration. As none of the Soviet Republics are signatories of that Declaration, Mr. Molotov’s proposal that two or three of these Republics be admitted to initial membership would be contrary to that principle.

2. The Question Should Be Postponed Until the Organization is Formed:

The President indicated in his remarks yesterday at the plenary session that this question should not come up until after the Organization is formed.

Mr. Molotov said yesterday at the plenary session that the Soviet Government had observed the gradual development of international relations of the British dominions. In accordance with the practice followed by the dominions, it would seem to be premature to take the action proposed by Mr. Molotov at this time. We should allow a longer time to elapse and have available more experience as to the international relations of the Soviet Republics before we consider this question.

The question is such a novel one in international relations that the other members of the Organization should have a chance to consider the question before a decision is reached.

3. The Soviet Republics are not Sovereign States under International Practice:

The Soviet constitution does not permit the Soviet Republics to control their own foreign policy or affairs. Other aspects of central control over the Republics are also inconsistent with the Republics being sovereign.

(Note: India is one of the United Nations. It, too, is not independent. The Soviet representatives will probably argue that if India can be a member so should their three Republics.

The answer:

India has for some period past been gradually developing international relations, and is generally regarded as having more of the attributes of separate nationhood than the Soviet Republics.)

[Attachment 2]

List of Nations Which Were Invited to the United Nations Conferences at Hot Springs, Atlantic City and Bretton Woods³

United Nations

Australia	Iran
Belgium	Iraq
Bolivia	Liberia
Brazil	Luxembourg
Canada	Mexico
China	Netherlands
Colombia	New Zealand
Costa Rica	Nicaragua
Cuba	Norway
Czechoslovakia	Panama
Dominican Republic	Philippine Commonwealth
El Salvador	Poland
Ethiopia	Union of South Africa
Greece	Union of Soviet
Guatemala	Socialist Republics
Haiti	United Kingdom
Honduras	United States
India	Yugoslavia

States Associated With the United Nations in the War

Chile	Iceland
Ecuador	Paraguay
Egypt	Peru*
France—Provisional Government of the French Republic	Uruguay
	Venezuela

Observers

Danish Minister at Washington, attending in a personal capacity

[Attachment 3]

[Yalta,] February 8, 1945.

Policy on Iran⁴

At Malta we agreed with the British on two points:⁵

1. We should urge the Soviet Government, in accordance with the spirit of the Declaration on Iran of December 1, 1943, to respect the decision of the Iranian Government to postpone negotiations for oil concessions until the termination of hostilities and withdrawal of Allied troops from Iran.

(The Declaration on Iran, which was signed by the President, Prime Minister Churchill and Marshal Stalin at Teheran, expressed desire for the maintenance of Iran’s sovereignty and integrity.)

2. Both Governments should state that when the truck route to Russia across Iran is no longer needed, we would be prepared to begin removing our troops pari passu (i. e., at the same rate.)

[Attachment 4]⁶

Declaration of the Three Powers Regarding Iran

The President of the United States, the Premier of the U. S. S. R., and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, having consulted with each other and with the Prime Minister of Iran, desire to declare the mutual agreement of their three Governments regarding their relations with Iran.

The Governments of the United States, the U. S. S. R., and the United Kingdom recognize the assistance which Iran has given in the prosecution of the war against the common enemy, particularly by facilitating the transportation of supplies from overseas to the Soviet Union.

The Three Governments realize that the war has caused special economic difficulties for Iran, and they are agreed that they will continue to make available to the Government of Iran such economic assistance as may be possible, having regard to the heavy demands made upon them by their world-wide military operations and to the world-wide shortage of transport, raw materials, and supplies for civilian consumption.

With respect to the post-war period, the Governments of the United States, the U. S. S. R., and the United Kingdom are in accord with the Government of Iran that any economic problems confronting Iran at the close of hostilities should receive full consideration, along with those of other members of the United Nations, by conferences or international agencies held or created to deal with international economic matters.

The Governments of the United States, the U. S. S. R., and the United Kingdom are at one with the Government of Iran in their desire for the maintenance of the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iran. They count upon the participation of Iran, together with all other peace-loving nations, in the establishment of international peace, security and prosperity after the war, in accordance with the principles of the Atlantic Charter, to which all four Governments have subscribed.

December 1, 1943.

1. Author not indicated but presumably Hiss. This memorandum, with attachments, was presumably prepared for Stettinius prior to the meeting of the Foreign Ministers on February 8, 1945.
2. Author not indicated but presumably Hiss.
3. This list was not attached to the covering memorandum in the Hiss Collection, but a copy was so attached in the UNA Files. The footnote on the original would indicate that the list had been prepared prior to January 1, 1945. (See ante, pp. 52–53.) The word “Turkey” was written in longhand beside the list of Associated States (see post, p. 774). Another copy of this list is an attachment to the Pasvolsky memorandum of January 23, 1945, ante, p. 82.
4. On January 1, 1945 France became a signatory of the United Nations Declaration. [Footnote in the original.]
4. Authorship not indicated.
5. See ante, pp. 500–501.
6. Although the covering memorandum refers to only three attachments, this paper was attached to the preceding document in both the Hiss Collection and the UNA Files.