500.CC/4–2745

Minutes of the Third Four-Power Preliminary Meeting on Questions of Organization and Admission, Held at San Francisco, April 27, 1945, 10 a.m.

[Informal Notes]

[Here follows list of participants, including members of delegations of the United States (6); United Kingdom (2); Soviet Union (4); and China (1).]

The Secretary said he had called this meeting in order to clarify the results of the Steering Committee66 concerning Chairmanship of the Conference. He said that Mr. Eden’s proposal had been accepted by the Committee and Mr. Molotov had made a reservation, and he hoped to be able to go before the Committee today and say that the four powers were united on the text of Mr. Eden’s proposal which Mr. Molotov had received.

Mr. Molotov said he could accept points one, two and three in Mr. Eden’s proposal but that he proposed that the plan of four Chairmanships be carried on to the Steering Committee.

Mr. Eden inquired as to the last sentence of the resolution which stated that the three other Presidents would give Mr. Stettinius full powers to conduct the position [business?] of the Conference.

Mr. Molotov said that if the word “practical” was added before business, he felt he would be able to accept that sentence.

Mr. Eden said he did not believe he could accept any changes in the wording of the proposal, and he was very much opposed to the idea of four official Chairmanships for the Steering and Executive Committees.

[Page 473]

The Secretary pointed out that they had gone almost all the way in trying to meet Mr. Molotov’s desire that the plan of equality of the four guiding powers should be established, and he did not feel that it was possible to go any further. He asked Mr. Eden whether he thought that Mr. Molotov’s amendments could be accepted.

Mr. Eden said emphatically that he did not believe they could.

Dr. Soong agreed with Mr. Eden.

The Secretary then said that his position; that of Mr. Eden’s, and that of Dr. Soong was that the resolution as adopted at yesterday’s session should stand unchanged.

Mr. Molotov said in that case, if his amendments were not accepted, he could not agree.

  1. Doc. 29, DC/4, April 26, ibid., p. 50.