860F.4016/1–3145
The British Embassy to the Department of State
Memorandum
The Czechoslovak Government communicated to His Majesty’s Ambassador27 on November 23rd last a memorandum on the problem of the German minority in Czechoslovakia, setting out in detail their proposals for the transfer of Sudeten Germans from Czechoslovakia after the war. It is understood that copies of this memorandum have also been addressed to the representatives in London of the United States Government, the Soviet Government and the French Provisional Government and to the European Advisory Commission. The Czechoslovak Government have invited the comments of His Majesty’s Government on these proposals.
The Czechoslovak Government’s proposals are related to many other aspects of the whole post-war settlement with Germany upon which final decisions have not yet been reached, and His Majesty’s Government find it difficult to deal with them in isolation. His Majesty’s Ambassador to Czechoslovakia has accordingly been instructed, in thanking the Czechoslovak Government for their communication, to inform them that His Majesty’s Government have been interested to receive these proposals which they are studying with care and sympathy. The Czechoslovak Government’s memorandum, however, raises very important issues in connexion with the whole German settlement and His Majesty’s Government do not feel able to offer any observations until they have discussed these questions with their principal allies. For the time being, therefore, His Majesty’s Government must reserve their attitude in regard to the Czechoslovak Government’s proposals.
The British Embassy have been instructed, in informing the Department of State of the foregoing, to add that His Majesty’s Government consider that the European Advisory Commission would be the most [Page 1249] suitable forum in which to discuss these proposals when the Governments concerned are ready to begin such discussions.
A similar memorandum is being communicated to the French and Soviet Governments.
[President Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, with their advisers, met in conference at Malta, January 30–February 2, 1945, and President Roosevelt, Prime Minister Churchill, and the Chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars Iosif Vissarionovich Stalin, with their advisers, met in conference at Yalta, February 4–11, 1945. For documentation of these Conferences relative to the question of the expulsion of German populations from Polish territory, see Foreign Relations, The Conferences at Malta and Yalta, 1945, pages 220, 227, 232–234, 509, 510, 717, 720, 725–726, 869–870.]
- Philip Bouverie Bowyer Nichols, British Ambassador to the Czechoslovak Government in Exile at London.↩