740.00119 Control (Germany)/7–2745: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
London, July 27,
1945—2 p.m.
[Received July 27—10:52 a.m.]
[Received July 27—10:52 a.m.]
7572. Main points of FonOff (Foreign Office) letter July 23 responding to substance of Deptel 5372, July 2, repeated Moscow as Dept’s 1496 follow:
- (1)
- Agree Dept’s fear that USSR might assume plan for repatriation routing of officials should also apply to non-officials.
- (2)
- Doubt whether scheme of allowing host Govt to choose route would be acceptable to Soviets if this appeared to countenance an aversion to Russian zone.
- (3)
- Conclude it preferable not to seek formal coordination repatriation program at Moscow but concentrate on practical cooperation Kabul and Stockholm where Anglo-American missions in conjunction with Soviet colleague should seek application principle that host Govt name destination of deportees.
- (4)
- Absence of Soviet representatives in neutral countries of Western Europe should provide adequate answer should Soviets complain of lack of prior formal consultation on repatriation.
- (5)
- British Embassy Moscow not being instructed to communicate USSR re repatriation official Germans. British Legations Kabul and Stockholm already instructed not to conclude repatriation arrangements without reference to Russian colleagues. Hope to secure Soviet concurrence to plans to repatriate officials from Sweden to Lübeck. British Legation Kabul instructed to decline to accede Afghan insistence that Allied representatives Kabul guarantee German officials will be sent to zone under joint Allied control since deportees will be in Soviet hands and not under joint Allied control.
- (6)
- Sent Dept as 7572, repeated Moscow as 265, Kabul as 2 (reference Kabul’s 95 to Dept July 527), Stockholm as 524 (reference Stockholm’s 2390 to Dept July 627).
- (7)
- For Dept see Embtels 7450, 7451, July 24.28 Text FonOff letter airmailed.
Winant