862.5043/12–845: Telegram
The United States Political Adviser for Germany (Murphy) to the Secretary of State
[Received 2:53 p.m.]
1204. On December 6, provisional executive of the Free German Trade Union League of Greater Berlin formally decided to request Kommandatura to permit entirely new delegates elections, and also agreed on election rules. Reference my 937, November 4, and my despatch No. 1435, December l.95 Agreement was in answer to Kommandatura questionnaire and will probably be delivered December 8. It provides for one delegate per 400 members and for nomination lists not indicating party affiliation of nominees. Ulbricht concurred and presumably Russians also. Undoubtedly the talks with British Trade Unionists and with Charles Zimmerman,96 all of whom expressed doubts as to democracy of FDGB, had much to do with the decision.
American, British and French members of Kommandatura Labor Committee are delighted and willing, if proposed election rules are democratic, to approve plan quickly. The reaction of higher British and French manpower officials is not yet known.97
- Latter not printed.↩
- Manager of Local 22 (New York) of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union. He had stopped in Berlin while en route to Warsaw where he hoped to arrange relief shipments to the Polish labor movement.↩
- In telegram 1294, December 19, from Berlin, Mr. Murphy reported that on December 18 the Deputy Commanders of the Kommandatura had approved the request of the Free German Trade Union League of Greater Berlin to call a convention after the election of new delegates. The Deputies also approved new election rules. (862.5043/12–1940)↩