Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-12-31
Text Of Byrnes Radio Address on Moscow Agreement

Tert OF the radio address LAST
night By Secretary OF State
Byrnes, as released by the State :
Department, tollol0S:
The purpose of my talk tonight
is to render a report on the recent
meeting of the Foreign Secretaries
of Great Britain, the United States
and the Soviet Union at Moscow.
With President Truman's ap-
prevail and encouragement, I had
urged the calling of this meeting in
fulfillment of the understanding
reached at Yalta that the three
Foreign Secretaries should meet
every three or four months.
I was well aware of the risk in
volved in suggesting this meeting
without any definite assurance that
the three governments would be
able to reach agreements on the
points under discussion. I knew
the risk of another impasse, such
as occurred in London. I felt this
risk had to be taken.
Personal Contact Useful.
IL 10 JuSO WIlCIL t1lCl Z Oh SCllullic
difficulties in reaching agreement
that Foreign Secretaries should meet
in an effort to understand each
others problems and troubles.
In this modern world, where
events move with lightning speed,
there is not time to wait for agree
ment to be reached by the slow
exchange of diplomatic communica-
tions.
We must realize that discussion
and personal contact in interna-
tional affairs are useful and help
full even though they do not at
once lead to agreement. They con-
tribute to meeting of the minds
and the reconciliation of differ
ences.
In September the Council of
Foreign Ministers at London had
been unable to agree upon the pro-
cedure to be followed in drawing
up the European peace treaties.
The Soviet Union took the position
that the treaties should be made
only by the principal powers who
had signed the respective armistices.
The other delegations took the view
that all states which took an active
part in the war should be allowed
TO participate in the peace
While we could not agree at Lon
dor, and many referred to the
London Conference as a complete
failure, it was, I think, the dis
cussions at London that helped us
greatly to reach agreement on peace
machinery at Moscow.
Meets United States Insistence.
The agreement at Moscow meets
our iEsistence that all states which
took an active part in the war should
participate in the peace. 1t also
frankly recognizes the responsible
role of the larger powers in the
making of peace.
Our agreement is that the terms
of peace in the first instance should
be drawn by the principal powers
which were Signers of the respective
armlsticeS. But it was decided that
as soon as these terms were drawn
up. they should be submitted to a
peace conference called by the five
States-the United States. the Soviet
Union, Great Britain, France and
China-who constitute the Council
of Foreign Ministers and are the
permanent members Of the Security
Council of the United Nations. All
states which actively waged war
with substantial military force
against the European members of
the Axis will be invited to partici-
pate in the conference
The peace conference is to be
called not later than May l.
The conference will consider the
draft treaties prepared by the states
that signed the respective armis-
tees. The peace conference will
then draw up its own recommended
tons. After that, the states which
prepared the preliminary texts will
consider the recommendations of the
peace conference and prepare the
final texts of the treaties to be
signed by all states actively at war
with the enemy states in question.
I do not consider this solution
ideal. But the departure from the
ideal standard is more in the form
than the substance. What is pre-
served is that the proposals of the
larger powers are subjected to the
judgment and public criticism of all
the nations which took an active
part in the war The procedure
contemplates and requires that
these nations formally and publicly
make their recommendations. The
larger powers are not bound by
these recommendations, but they
must agree in order to draw up the
final treaties. Certainly the United
States would not agree to a final
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