Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1945, General: Political and Economic Matters, Volume II

740.00119 Council/12–2645:

Memorandum of Conversation, by the United States Delegation at the Moscow Conference of Foreign Ministers⁶⁴

Moscow, December 25, 1945.

Present:	Secretary Byrnes
	Ambassador Harriman
	Mr. Bohlen
	Mr. Molotov
	Mr. Vyshinski
	Mr. Pavlov

Subjects:	Disposition of Japanese naval and merchant fleet
	Japanese fishing fleet
	Japanese mandated islands
	Site of UNO Assembly
	Selection of Secretary General for Assembly
	Iran

Mr. Molotov said that he had wanted to talk with the Secretary about the question of the disposition of the Japanese naval and merchant fleet. This question had not been clarified during the discussion yesterday and he wished to find out more about the status of the matter.

The Secretary replied that he had nothing to add to what he had said and that after an exchange of letters on the subject with Mr. Molotov⁶⁵ he had turned the matter over to the naval authorities and he assumed that it was being carried out. He said that he had had no information since then.

Mr. Molotov replied that he raised the question because the exchange of letters took place over two months ago and he had heard nothing about the matter through any channel.

The Secretary said he would look into the matter upon his return to Washington.

Mr. Molotov said as to the question concerning the Japanese mandated islands which he had raised yesterday he was not going to press the matter but he hoped that at some time he would have an opportunity to discuss it. Mr. Molotov then said in regard to the Assembly that he noted that decision had been taken to locate in the United States.⁶⁶

The Secretary said that he had had some doubt as to the advisability of this step and that our representative on the Committee in London had been instructed not to work for the United States as the seat of the organization but since other nations desired it we were quite prepared to accept.

Mr. Molotov then reverted to the question of the Japanese merchant fleet and said that in his letter Mr. Byrnes had written that it was necessary to discuss this question with our other Allies as well as the Soviet Union. He wished to know when and where these discussions would take place.

The Secretary said that he would look into the matter upon his return to Washington and it might be possible that one of our representatives could discuss it in London next month. He said that in regard to the merchant fleet we did not consider fishing vessels as coming within that category and that he had never heard any reference to the disposition of the Japanese fishing fleet until the other day when Mr. Molotov mentioned it. He said that we did not consider fishing vessels as forming part of the merchant fleet.

Mr. Molotov asked if it was intended to leave the whole Japanese fishing fleet to the Japanese.

The Secretary said that he had no information on that subject. He added, however, that, according to our naval authorities, during the closing days of the war there had been great destruction of the Japanese merchant fleet vessels and that as a result the size of the Japanese merchant fleet had been much smaller than anticipated.

Mr. Molotov said that, turning to the subject of the forthcoming meeting of the Assembly he would like to know whether the United States had any candidates for the post of Secretary General.

The Secretary answered that we had no candidate; that he had discussed the matter once with Mr. Stettinius, and he knew that there had been some discussion in London on this question.

Mr. Molotov replied that in this discussion several candidates had been proposed, among them Mr. Simic, Yugoslav Ambassador to Washington, who was formerly the Yugoslav Ambassador to Moscow. He said that he thought Mr. Simic would be very suitable as he was a non-party man, an experienced diplomat and objective in his views.

The Secretary said that Mr. Stettinius had mentioned to him only two candidates, one a Canadian, Mr. Robertson,⁶⁷ and the other a Dutchman whose name he had forgotten. He said that neither the President nor he were backing any particular candidate.

In conclusion, Mr. Molotov mentioned that he thought that the British proposal on Iran was in general acceptable and asked Mr. Byrnes’ views.⁶⁸

The Secretary said that he did not especially like the proposal but if it could be adopted as a possible first step in the direction of a solution he would be prepared to accept it. He said he was particularly anxious to avoid having the question of Iran raised in the world organization, because he was afraid that it would disclose the differences between our three Governments and that he always wanted to avoid.

64. Meeting held at Spiridonovka, December 25, 1945, 4:00–4:30 p.m.
65. See footnote 55, p. 764.
66. Reference here is to the decision of the London Preparatory Commission of the United Nations General Assembly to locate the United Nations Organization permanent headquarters in the United States. The United States representatives on the Preparatory Commission and its Executive Committee maintained a position of complete neutrality on this question. For documentation on the work of the Preparatory Commission, August–December 1945, see vol. i, pp. 1433 ff.
67. Norman A. Robertson, Canadian Under Secretary of State for External Affairs.
68. Presumably reference here is to the United Kingdom memorandum on suggested draft terms of reference for a tripartite commission on Iran, included as enclosure 3 to the United States delegation minutes of the Informal Meeting of December 24, 3:15 p.m., pp. 761, 771.