740.00119 Council/12–1945: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Secretary of State, at Moscow
2602. Secdel 27. This morning the President in discussing with me your Delsec No. 13 and No. 1578 asked me to obtain clarification [Page 708] for him on one point. Molotov’s proposal, together with your counter proposal, appeared to provide that the terms of the treaties would be prepared by the Foreign Ministers Council under Molotov’s 4–3–2 London formula; that a peace conference composed as you outlined it would be convened to discuss the treaties; that after the conclusion of the conference the states signatory to the armistice terms plus France in the case of Italy would draft the final treaties; and that the final texts would be signed by the countries represented at the peace conference. The point which interested the President was whether the states signatory to the armistice terms plus France in the case of Italy would in drafting the final texts be bound by the conclusions of the peace conference or whether the conclusions of the peace conference would be purely advisory and could be disregarded by the drafters of the final treaties. The President was inclined toward the former view as the correct one. However, his inquiry was directed toward obtaining your understanding of the matter and not toward expressing any final opinion.
- Telegram 4218, Delsec 13, December 18, from Moscow, transmitted the Secretary’s report on the Second Formal Session of the Conference (740.00119 Council/12–1845). Telegram 4221, Delsec 15, December 19, from Moscow, transmitted the Secretary’s report on the Third Formal Session of the Conference (740.00119 Council/12–1945).↩