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

Hiss Collection

Hiss Notes¹

Leningrad, February 9, 1945, 4 p.m.

Get copy of Eden’s report of 2/8

Q of invitation to Poland

Plenary session

2/9 4.18 p m

ERS read his report

Mol: After Polish part

New suggestions—postponed till conclusion of report

Amendments to Am. proposal re “reorg” etc & re Ambs.

Church: glad see advance

But going say something before goes on Refers to some private talks we have had about Lublin To Pres—if you will forgive me Can’t be hurried Feels this matter can’t be hurried. It may be complete meeting of minds can be achieved in the time we have in view. There are only 48 hrs left. I do not like to feel spoiling whole thing. Must say we should, if nee, take a day’s latitude. If we leave here without agt about Pol whatever else we say we shall have failed on the most dangerous & tiresome matter I haven’t taken it all in fully²

(1) Get copy of Eden’s report of 2/8

Plenary session 2/9

4:28 p. m.

(2) Q of Poland as invited nation to Conference

(3) Add T. T.³ formula to ERS report & eliminate “dependent areas”

(4) See H H⁴ re point 2 of formula

ERS read report

Mol. After Pol. section, Mol. proposed amendments to U. S. paper of this morning

Re Terr trusteeship part of ERS report

I absolutely refuse to engage myself in that without consultation with the dominions. I will not have 1 scrap of the Brit Empire . . . (lost) . . . .⁵ after all we have done in the war

I will not consent to a repres of Brit Em. going to any conference where we will be placed in the dock & asked to defend ourselves Never, Never, Never

If you tell me we are not to go & be brought up before a vague tribunal & be told how to be good & proper I will not object.

Every scrap of terr. over which Brit flag flies is immune

ERS: Only plan is to provide machinery for trusteeship if org. wants set it up. We had in mind Jap. mandated islands to be taken from Jap.

We have nothing in mind in relation to Brit Empire.

Church: We desire no territory

Say it will in no way affect integrity of Brit. Em.

(In intermission a formula was agreed to)

Decl, on Lib. Eur.

Referred Pol q. back to For. Mins. for night session

Church: made speech in favor of Ambs. watching over Pol election

When in discussion of this Church said we don’t like word fascist, St referred to Decl. on Lib. Eur. 2, 1st sentence & said he liked Decl.

Pres. then read ¶ 3 from (c) on.

St: We accept that

Pres: spoke of need of elections being above suspicion

Pres then brought up Decl, formally

Church I do not assent from this but I would like it on record that Atl. Ch. was interpreted by me on my return from Newfoundland in short ¶ I read to H of C. that we were pursuing these aims in Brit Em. That is a part of our interpretation. I sent it to Wendel Willkie

Pres Was that what killed him?

Church. I will furnish conf, with copy of this code (?)

Ed. Might be left open to 3 powers to associate the Fr. with them if they so desire

St. Three will be better—looks better

Ed. I don’t want to change it now

Mol—amendment addition: at the end—of next to 3rd from last comma &:

When the 3 Govts will consult the other Un Ns give strong & there will be executed wide measures of support to the men of these countries who take took active part struggle in the fight ag. Ger. occupation.

No other suggestion

Pres: I like the thought. Let For Mins look at the language

St to Church who was about to say something “Are you worried about Gr.”⁶ (laughing)

Church I should like election in Gr.

St. I don’t want to control Mr Church.

Church: I don’t want to control the elections

If Mar. St. wants to send in some of his resp. officers they can go where they like

St I have every conf. in the Brit. policy

Church Let Unrra come in & give food

Church: One q. we shall have to consider at—war criminals

Get Grew’s statement7 Get Ed. note to ERS re same7 Get

Note: After Pres. made his commitment on 2/8 re Sov. Reps Justice Byrnes was very agitated & discussed it with Flynn coming home from Stalin dinner. Flynn said, with apparently some confusion of thought, that the Irish in N. Y. & other cities would never agree to Britain having 6 votes & Russia 3 with U. S. only 1. He said D. O. is dead. Byrnes then began considering giving Puerto Rico, Hawaii & Alaska votes & he & Churchill & the Pres. discussed it a [sic] lunch on 2/9. I talked to Byrnes after plenary meeting on 2/9 & argued against that. I said if Pres. could get St. to release him from his commitment that would be best course Byrnes still seemed to be worried about Brit. citing 1920 League campaign**Byrnes was particularly worried because Pres. had made a special point with Sen. For. Rels. Com. & others of the ridiculousness of Sov. proposal re republics.

1. From penciled notes in longhand. For citations to pertinent documents, see the preceding Bohlen minutes of this meeting.
2. The foregoing is in Hiss’ handwriting on a loose sheet found in the Matthews Files.
3. Territorial trusteeship.
4. Harry Hopkins.
5. Points appear in the original.
6. Greece.
7. This item bears a check-mark on the original.
7. This item bears a check-mark on the original.