Editorial Note
The Department of State began planning for the Bermuda Conference on November 13 by circulating BM Memo 1 (CFM files, lot M 88, box 166, “Bermuda Mtg”) which contained instructions for the preparation of papers for the meeting. Three types of papers were prepared. The first were position papers giving the United States view on a particular problem; the second were talking papers, presenting a one-page summary of the position paper; and the third were background papers, giving extensive information on those subjects which would require further documentation than that presented in the position papers. The initial list of papers was drafted on November 13, revised on November 19 and 27, and given final approval on December 2. Ridgway Knight, the Acting Director of the Office of Western European Affairs, was selected as the chairman of the steering group which considered each paper, and any difficulties that could not be settled in his steering group were referred to an Assistant Secretary of State group, chaired by the Counselor of the Department of State, Douglas MacArthur, for resolution. All these papers, whether prepared for trilateral discussions or for bilateral talks with either the British or French were given the series indicator BM D. Those that were drafted for tripartite talks dealt with European and Far Eastern topics; those for bipartite talks with the British covered global strategy, Near Eastern questions, Germany, the Pacific area, and United States–United Kingdom relations; while those for bipartite talks with the French discussed Indochina, North Africa, Morocco, and the French Government’s anti-Communist drive. Sets of these papers are in the CFM files, lot M 88, box 166 and the Conference files, lot 60 D 627, CF 181. Two of the papers are printed here, infra and page 1731.