I have considered the paper entitled "Suggested
Recommendations on Treatment of Germany from the Cabinet
Committee for the President", dated September 4th, submitted
to the Committee by the Secretary of State and have discussed
it with my colleagues on the Committee.
 
 
 With the exception of the last paragraph I find
myself in agreement with the principles stated therein and
they are in conformity with the lines upon which we have been
proceeding in the War Department in our directives to the
Armed Forces.
 
 
 The last paragraph, however, is as follows:
 
 
 "The primary objectives of our economic
 
 policy are (1) the standard of living of the
 
 German population shall be held down to sub-
 
 sistence levels; (2) German economic position
 
 of power in Europe must be eliminated; (3)
 
 German economic capacity must be converted in
 
 such manner that it will be so dependent upon
 
 imports and exports that Germany cannot by its
 
 own devices reconvert to war production".
 
 
 While certain of these statements by themselves
may possibly be susceptible of a construction with which I
would not be at variance, the construction put upon them at
the discussion this morning certainly reached positions to
which I am utterly opposed. The position frankly taken by