Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1945, European Advisory Commission, Austria, Germany, Volume III

740.00119 Control (Germany)/12–2744: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the United States Political Adviser for Germany (Murphy), at London

Washington, January 6, 1945—midnight.

152. In reply to your 11453, December 27, 10 a.m.,³⁸ in the absence of likelihood of early approval of JCS 1067 by the Combined Chiefs of Staff, a redraft thereof to make the document suitable for presentation to EAC has been completed and is now going forward to Ambassador Winant for presentation to the EAC.³⁹ The revision is quite similar in context to JCS 1067. The War and Navy Departments attach great importance to 1067.

The purpose of paragraph 8 (a) of JCS 1067 was to lay down a much more stringent policy of clearing out all Nazi influences than was pursued in Italy⁴⁰ with respect to Fascists, and particular stress is laid on this paragraph which has not been changed in the revision. The Italian policy in retrospect is regarded as having been mild even for Italy and definitely inappropriate for Germany. Nazis are considered much more dangerous than any analogous Italian groups. Accordingly it is our view that a more rigorous policy should be followed in Germany and such a policy for the post-defeat period in Germany was agreed upon by State, War and Treasury Departments in JCS 1067 and has not been changed. Although paragraph 8 (a) is intentionally more stringent than the policy pursued in Italy, it is an attempt to do a more thorough purging but at the same time to be sufficiently flexible to meet the necessities of practical administration.

Under these circumstances, and in the absence of agreed EAC policies and of a further directive from CCS,⁴¹ it is believed that you should exert every effort to inject the thinking of JCS 1067 into policies formulated for the SHAEF post-surrender period and toward bending the pre-surrender directive⁴² to SHAEF in a manner which will make it as consistent as possible with the policies outlined in 1067.

Stettinius

38. Not printed; it asked the Department for information regarding the status of discussions with the Combined Chiefs of Staff on the subject of post-surrender occupation policy in Germany (740.00119 Control (Germany)/12–2744).
39. See instruction 4980, January 13, to London, p. 378.
40. For documentation regarding the concern of the United States for the maintenance of responsible government in Italy, see Foreign Relations, 1944, vol. iii, pp. 996 ff.
41. Combined Chiefs of Staff.
42. For text of the directive to the Supreme Commander, Allied Expeditionary Force in respect of military government in Germany for the pre-surrender period, see Foreign Relations, 1944, vol. i, p. 217.