740.00119 Control (Germany)/9–1045: Telegram
The United States Political Adviser for Germany (Murphy) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 10—5:20 p.m.]
490. Fifth meeting of the Control Council took place this afternoon with Marshal Montgomery presiding.
As to British proposal to control movement of populations between the various zones, Marshal Zhukov agreed in principle, but stated that matter is tied up with the question of eventual settlement of German civilians and former prisoners of war as between the various zones, as well as with the expulsion of additional Germans from Poland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary. He asked that the question be returned to the Coordinating Committee for a complete study covering all factors. This was done.
The Council agreed without comment to the resolution that German inland transport should be reestablished only to the degree necessary to satisfy Allied needs and those of the accepted German civilian economy. This would confine commercial highway traffic to such short-haul traffic as cannot be provided by rail or water.80
The Council agreed without comment to the US resolution recalling German officials and agents and obnoxious Germans from Afghanistan, Eire, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tangiers, and Vatican.81
The Council approved: Transport Directorate’s report concerning the causes of transport difficulties in the supplying of Berlin with coal and food, and proposed remedies;82 the US proposal concerning [Page 836] publicity arrangements on matters before the Control Council;83 and the Economic Directorate’s proposal recommending the relaxation of restrictions on interzonal trade.84 The publicity arrangements are being handed to the press representative tonight.
It was agreed that the French would take up their request for captured German war material individually with the US, the British and the Soviets.
Marshal Montgomery stated that the British Foreign Office had notified him that for the purposes of the Conference of Foreign Ministers in London85 it would appreciate being advised as to the opinion of the Control Council on the question of free movement in all four zones of Germany for the nationals of the four powers represented on the Council. Marshal Zhukov stated that he would have to study the question and would not even state at this time whether matter should be referred to the Coordinating Committee. Marshal Montgomery stated that he would circulate the proposal and hoped that the members would give their views to their Deputies if possible so that the matter could be considered by the Coordinating Committee promptly.
Sent to Dept as 490, repeated to London as 68.
- Reference is to CONL/P(45)24, August 30, transmitted to the Department in despatch 963, September 14, 1945, from Berlin, not printed.↩
- For text of this resolution, contained in a circular telegram of September 17, 8 a.m., see p. 808.↩
- CONL/P(45)27, 7 September 1945, transmitted to the Department in despatch 963, September 14, from Berlin. This paper set forth detailed recommendations for regulating the volume of freight traffic from the western zones to Berlin (740.00119 Control (Germany)/9–1445).↩
- CONL/P(45)28, September 7, 1945, transmitted to the Department in despatch 963, September 14, from Berlin. The resolution provided for the release of information on the decisions and discussions of the Control Council consistent with the requirements of military security unless the Control Council deemed it desirable to withhold information because a problem was still in the discussion stage or because the release of information might prejudice the final solution of a problem. The resolution then recommended a procedure for quadripartite participation in the drafting of a press release at the conclusion of each meeting. (740.00119 Control (Germany)/9–1445)↩
- CONL/P(45)29, 7 September, transmitted to the Department in despatch 963, September 14, from Berlin. It recommended that “each Zone Commander, while preserving his prerogatives to prohibit transfers to other Zones of commodities in critically short supply, be requested to issue instructions in his Zone to relax as far as possible all unnecessary restrictions on normal interzonal trading in commodities, goods and services.” (740.00119 Control (Germany)/9–1445)↩
- For documentation on the First Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers, London, September 11–October 2, 1945, see vol. ii, pp. 99 ff.↩