740.00119 Control (Germany)/7–1345: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the United States Political Adviser for Germany (Murphy)
135. Urtel 162, July 13.20 Dept is sending you by air pouch formal statement cleared July 13 by IPCOG re representation of foreign countries at Control Council in Germany21 (see last par. Dept 60, July 420). This statement confirms US general agreement with Brit memo (EAC 45/47, May 2), subject to comments along lines indicated in Dept 60. Inasmuch as IPCOG statement was drafted in collaboration with War Dept and represents approved US policy, it is believed that authority to close down neutral consulates is contained therein and that Dept need not request War Dept for special instructions in this regard.
On reviewing matter of closing down neutral consulates in US zone at earliest possible moment, Dept now believes that such action should not be taken independently, but should be coordinated with similar action on part of other occupying powers. Consideration might be given if possible to usefulness at the time of Swiss consulates [Page 1092] in looking after American interests. It might be desirable also if such action was deferred until agreement was reached in the Control Council on the principle of representation of neutral countries by agencies.
In view of these considerations Dept wishes to leave at your discretion timing of closure of neutral consulates.
- Not printed.↩
- The memorandum of July 13 from the Informal Policy Committee on Germany to the Secretary of State, supra, was transmitted in instruction 114, July 19, to the United States Political Adviser for Germany, not printed. A copy of the memorandum was also transmitted in instruction 5776, July 19, to London. Instruction 5776 read in part as follows: “The memorandum cleared by the Informal Policy Committee on Germany confirms, without change, the views of the Department as set forth in the Department’s telegram no. 4912 of June 19, 1945.” (740.00119 EAC/7–1945)↩
- Not printed.↩