Foreign Relations of the United States, 1946, Paris Peace Conference: Proceedings, Volume III

CFM Files

United States Delegation Journal

October 4, 1946, 3:30 p.m.

USDel (PC) (Journal) 61

The Commission considered the report of the Rapporteur (CP IT/P Doc 108)⁸ which was distributed to the members of the Commission just before the meeting. The Chairman expressed regret that the Delegates had not had sufficient time to study the report before the meeting and suggested that the Rapporteur be given an opportunity to present and explain it before opening the general discussion. After a short discussion on procedure in which M. Manuilsky (Ukraine) and M. Vyshinsky (U.S.S.R.) participated, the Commission heard M. Vyshinsky’s objections to that part of the report relating to a Greek amendment to Article 12 (page 12 of Doc 108). The U.K. and Greek Delegations participated in the discussion and it was finally agreed to omit the sentence in the Greek amendment referring to the Italo-Turkish conventions of January and December 1932 describing the maritime frontiers of the Dodecanese Islands.⁹ At the suggestion of Mr. Jebb (U.K.) it was agreed to add a sentence in the report in the following sense: “The Commission suggests that the Greek Delegate propose a draft map defining the maritime frontiers of the Dodecanese Islands and that a draft map should be presented to the Plenary Session of the Conference for approval.” Finally it was agreed that that part of the Greek amendment relating to the maritime frontiers of the Dodecanese should be referred to the Legal and Drafting Commission for its observations for the Plenary Session.

M. Manuilsky said that his Delegation intended to raise again in the Plenary Session their amendment for a new Article 14A (CP IT/P Doc 69) regarding defascistization in Italy which had been rejected by 9 votes to 8.¹⁰ He asked that the minority point of view thereon be included in the report.

Mr. McIntosh (New Zealand), the Rapporteur, presented his draft report (Doc 108) to the Commission describing its various sections in general terms. With reference to M. Manuilsky’s suggestion, the Rapporteur felt that the Commission should interpret the rules of the Conference broadly and suggested the creation of a 4th chapter to his report for the purpose of mentioning amendments which had failed of a majority in the Commission. Colonel Hodgson (Australia) supported the suggestion for a new chapter 4 to give those Delegations who had submitted amendments failing a two-thirds or majority vote an opportunity to state their points of view for the consideration of the Plenary Conference. The Representative of Czechoslovakia suggested that the report show the votes for and against various amendments by countries. M. Vyshinsky congratulated Mr. McIntosh on his report but observed that 8 points of the Soviet Delegation on a statute for Trieste which had failed to obtain the Commission’s approval had likewise not been mentioned in the report. He insisted that they be included since he said the Soviet Delegation intended to continue to fight for a “democratic” statute for Trieste. The Soviet Delegation, he continued, was going to continue to fight for its views on the statute in the Plenary Sessions and until, “as we hope”, the peace treaty comes into force. There was considerable discussion on the establishment of a new chapter 4 of the report for minority views in which the U.K., Soviet, Australian and Yugoslav Delegations participated. The Commission finally approved a new chapter of the report in this sense as well as a final chapter 5 showing the votes by countries on articles 3, 4, 16, 10A, 13, 14A, 21 and 77A. The Chairman insisted that all minority reports for the new chapter 4 should be submitted to the Secretariat before twelve midnight except for those comments which might be presented, already translated in the 3 working languages, before 8 a.m. tomorrow morning.

The Rapporteur found certain errors in the hastily prepared report which he called to the attention of the Commission. The Delegates of Yugoslavia, South Africa and the U.S. likewise suggested certain drafting changes which the Rapporteur accepted. The Polish Delegate asked that the report of the subcommission on a statute for Trieste be attached as an annex to the report.

The Chairman said that there would be a final meeting tomorrow morning at 10:00 to consider the revised report of the Rapporteur and approve it. At that time any additional suggested changes would be considered.

8. Not printed; C.P.(Plen) Doc. 24, the Commission report ultimately adopted, is printed in vol. iv, p. 299.
9. Regarding the Greek amendment and the Soviet reservation, see the United States Delegation Journal account of the 28th Meeting, September 21, p. 501.
10. For the Commission’s consideration of this amendment and a description of its substance, see the United States Delegation Journal account of the 33rd Meeting, September 25, p. 553.