740.00119 E.W./10–2845
The United States Political Adviser for Germany (Murphy) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 29—6:35 a.m.]
871. In connection with the status of negotiations in the Control Council on interim restitution deliveries, you should see cables to AGWar (Adjutant General War Department) CC–1788581 and CC–17920 of October 23.
It should be emphasized that the agreement on restitution in the Control Council will be a zonal procedure and present discussions do not provide for any central arrangements covering all of Germany, except on monthly report by zone commanders.
The problems of looted property located outside Germany and the adjudication of disputed claims will not be covered by any Control Council agreements that are presently envisaged. It is presumed, that final policy and organizational arrangements be formulated at the earliest possible moment. It is noted that this matter is on the agenda for the meeting of United States, United Kingdom and French members of the Allied Reparations Commission in Paris and it will undoubtedly receive sufficient priority to be resolved.
The French representative on the RD and R Directorate has stated that the French attach importance to restitution equal to that being urged by the Russians for advance interim reparation deliveries. The Russian representatives have not entered fully into the discussion of restitution arrangements. In fact their representative on a special committee for formulating procedures for the location, identification and return of cultural works refused to participate in the discussion even on a technical basis although he was accompanied by two specialists in this field. This meeting was subsequent to the [Page 1364] quadripartite agreement in the RD and R Directorate on the policy paper83 sent to the Coordinating Committee.
Repeated to Paris for Angell as 100 and to London for Reinstein as 129.
- Dated October 22, not printed; in this telegram from General Clay, OMGUS indicated that it proposed, in reference to paragraph 1 of the projected interim directive on restitution (contained in telegram 8245, September 20, 5 p.m., to London, p. 1299), to interpret “requirements” to include military requirements but to delay delivery of such items until military requirements were satisfied. (Copy obtained from Department of the Army files.)↩
- See telegram CC–17920, October 23, from Berlin, p. 1353.↩