Hiss Collection
United States Delegation Draft of a Declaration on Liberated Europe1
Declaration on Liberated Europe
The President of the United States of America, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the Premier of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and the President of the Provisional Government of the French Republic, have consulted with each other in the common interests of the peoples of their countries and those of liberated Europe. They jointly declare their mutual agreement to concert the action of their four governments in assisting the peoples liberated from the domination of Nazi Germany and the peoples of the former Axis satellite states of Europe to solve by democratic means their pressing political and economic problems.
The retreat of the Nazi war machine and the collapse of its puppet regimes, under the relentless blows of the victorious armies and resistance forces of the United Nations, are leaving behind confusion and disorder, and incalculable distress and suffering. The agony of the liberated peoples must be relieved. Swift steps must be taken [Page 861] during the temporary period of confusion and disorder to help them in the orderly reconstruction of their daily living.
The establishment of order in Europe and the rebuilding of national economic life must be achieved by processes which will enable the liberated peoples to destroy the last vestiges of Nazism and Fascism and to create democratic institutions of their own choice. This is a promise of the Atlantic Charter—the right of all peoples to choose the form of government under which they will live—the restoration of sovereign rights and self-government to those peoples who have been forcibly deprived of them.
To foster the conditions in which the liberated peoples may exercise these rights, the four governments will take joint action in any European liberated state and any former Axis satellite state in Europe where in the judgment of the four governments conditions may make such action necessary, to assist the peoples concerned (a) to establish conditions of internal peace; (b) to carry out emergency measures for care of distressed peoples and for solution of pressing economic problems; (c) to set up governmental authorities broadly representative of all democratic elements in the population and pledged to the earliest possible establishment through free elections of governments responsive to the will of the people; and (d) to arrange and conduct free elections held to determine the type and composition of governments.
The four governments will consult the other United Nations and provisional authorities or other governments in Europe when matters of direct interest to them are under consideration.
In carrying out this declaration the four governments will, usually, act through their respective ambassadors nearest to the area concerned, although on occasion the four governments may determine to appoint special commissions charged with responsibility for carrying out the policy of this declaration with respect to particular areas. Such ambassadors of the four governments as have been authorized jointly to take action pursuant to the declaration, and any special commission which may be established for the same purpose, shall meet quarterly with the foreign ministers of the four governments at places to be selected hereafter.
By this declaration we reaffirm our faith in the principles of the Atlantic Charter, our pledge in the Declaration by United Nations, and our determination to build in cooperation with other peace-loving nations a world order under law, dedicated to peace, security, freedom, and general well-being of all mankind.
- Carbon copy; carries this penciled notation in Hiss’ handwritting: “1st redraft after talking to Justice Byrnes Copy given 5:15 P. M. to Jebb 2/5 at Yalta Copies to ERS, HFM, Byrnes and Hopkins 8:15 p. m.” This paper was included in the Hiss Collection with other drafts on this subject following the Plenary Meeting on February 10, 1945, when the subject was also discussed (see post, p. 899).↩