862t.01/213: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in France (Wallace)
1720. Your 1974, December 3.51 The Secretary of War states that the American Army of Occupation after the armistice had a [Page 342] strength of about 225,000 men. It was decided in the summer of 1919 to reduce the force to about 15,000. The force has varied from about 8,000 to 16,000, due to bringing home emergency men and sending regular army units and replacements. The War Department has decided recently to reduce this force to about 8,000 men. The reduction will be gradual and should be completed during 1921. Under the terms of the armistice, American troops entered Germany in December, 1918, and now are there under armistice conditions. Their prospective or actual strength and use is a matter for the American Government to determine. The Secretary states further that there is no reason for not informing the German authorities of the proposed strength of American forces in occupied territories but that it should be understood that an emergency might make an increase necessary. You may communicate any or all of above to the Council of Ambassadors in your discretion and use the same as basis of American statement to the German Government.
- Not printed; refers to the Ambassador’s telegram no. 1867 of Oct. 29, reporting: “Conference [of Ambassadors] had before it a note from German Delegation dated July 22 requesting that German Government be informed of number of troops in armies of occupation in order that it might make economical arrangements relative to their billeting.” (File no. 763.72119/10628.)↩