740.00119 Council/12–2745: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman) to the Secretary of State
[Received 7:30 a.m.]
4284. The Communiqué agreed to at the Moscow Conference will be issued for release at 10 p.m. Washington time, Thursday, December 27, and simultaneously in the other two capitals; i.e. 3 a.m., December 28, in London, and 6 a.m. in Moscow.
The text of the Communiqué follows:
[Here follow sections on the preparation of peace treaties with Italy, Rumania, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Finland, and the establishment of the Far Eastern Commission and the Allied Council for Japan.]
III. Korea
1. With a view to the re-establishment of Korea as an independent state, the creation of conditions for developing the country on democratic principles and the earliest possible liquidation of the disastrous results of the protracted Japanese domination in Korea, there shall be set up a provisional Korean democratic government which shall take all the necessary steps for developing the industry, transport and agriculture of Korea and the national culture of the Korean people.
2. In order to assist the formation of a provisional Koeran government and with a view to the preliminary elaboration of the appropriate measures, there shall be established a Joint Commission consisting of representatives of the United States command in southern Korea and the Soviet command in northern Korea. In preparing their proposals the Commission shall consult with the Korean democratic parties and social organizations. The recommendations worked out by the Commission shall be presented for the consideration of the Governments of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, China, the United Kingdom and the United States prior to final decision by the two Governments represented on the Joint Commission.
[Page 1151]3. It shall be the task of the Joint Commission, with the participation of the provisional Korean democratic government and of the Korean democratic organizations to work out measures also for helping and assisting (trusteeship) the political, economic and social progress of the Korean people, the development of democratic self-government and the establishment of the national independence of Korea.
The proposals of the Joint Commission shall be submitted, following consultation with the provisional Korean government for the joint consideration of the Governments of the United States, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, United Kingdom and China for the working out of an agreement concerning a four-power trusteeship of Korea for a period of up to five years.
4. For the consideration of urgent problems affecting both southern and northern Korea and for the elaboration of measures establishing permanent coordination in administrative-economic matters between the United States command in southern Korea and the Soviet command in northern Korea, a conference of the representatives of the United States and Soviet commands in Korea shall be convened within a period of two weeks.
[Here follow sections on China, Rumania, Bulgaria, and the establishment by the United Nations of a commission for the control of atomic energy.]64
- For full text of this telegram, see vol. ii, p. 815. For the report of the Secretary of State on the achievements of the Moscow meeting as they related to Korea, see his radio address of December 30, Department of State Bulletin, December 30, 1945, pp. 1033, 1035.↩