Office of the Historian

Editorial Note

The Treaty Committee (TIC) was established on March 12, 1948, to facilitate the coordination of policy problems arising under the treaties of peace with Italy (including Trieste), Hungary, Bulgaria, and Romania. According to the Terms of Reference of the Treaty Committee (document TIC D–1, March 12, 1948 and Departmental Announcement 1018 of the same date), the Committee was to perform the following functions:

  • “(1) Identifies and evaluates present and emerging problems in respect to the peace treaties, of mutual concern to the geographic and functional offices in preparing policy recommendations. In performing this function the Committee serves as a medium for the interchange of information.
  • “(2) Is responsible for coordinating U.S. policy regarding the execution of the peace treaties with the four southern European countries mentioned above [Italy, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Romania].
  • “(3) Gives guidance and facilitates clearance on instructions to the field on treaty matters.”

The Committee was composed of representatives from the Office of European Affairs (which also provided the Chairman), the Office of International Trade Policy, the Office of Financial and Development Policy, the Office of Legal Adviser, the Office of Transport and Communications, the Special Assistant to the Secretary of State for Research and Intelligence, the Office of Information and Educational Exchange, the Office of Public Affairs, and the Office of United Nations [Page 311] Affairs. Representatives of the Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force were invited to consult with the Committee on military matters. The Treaty Committee, which was convened for the first time on March 17, 1948, held 22 meetings during 1948. The minutes, agenda, and numbered documents of the Treaty Committee are included in CFM Files, Lot M–88, Box 104.

The Treaty Committee assumed the functions formerly charged to the Balkan and Italian Committees. These two committees, first established at the beginning of 1946, were responsible for the coordination of various parts of the Department of State concerned with Balkan and Italian country and area problems and were to provide a forum for the discussion of such problems. The Balkan and Italian Committees were abolished at the time of the establishment of the Treaty Committee.