740.0011 EW/4–1743
The Department of State to the British Embassy 26
In the territory subject to the supreme command of General Eisenhower and covered by operation Husky, the Officer Commanding Force 141 (who is a British General) would become Military Governor [Page 329] of Occupied Territory and in that capacity exercise all functions attached to such position under the general direction of the Commander-in-Chief. In order to assist him he would have an organization comparable to Occupied Enemy Territory Administration but adapted to meet the special conditions of the metropolitan European country and the joint responsibility of the two Governments. This organization would be known as Allied Military Government, Occupied Territory (AMGOT) and would be Allied in character in the same sense as is Allied Force. The chief officer of AMGOT would be British; the deputy American; the staff Anglo-American. This would be predicated on the agreement that in matters of broad policy affecting political and fiscal affairs, etc., the two Governments would agree on the general lines to be followed and a directive would be prepared based on this agreement and transmitted to the Commander-in-Chief through the Combined Chiefs of Staff. The Commander-in-Chief would be responsible to the two Governments through the Combined Chiefs of Staff for the military Government of the territory concerned. In order that these matters may be expeditiously handled by AFHQ27 the Commander-in-Chief would appoint a deputy Chief-of-Staff who would be his executive in matters involved in the military government of Husky. This officer would be an American and if found desirable would have a British assistant.
In view of the friendly attitude of many of the inhabitants of Italy toward the United States, and in consideration of the great number of American citizens of Italian descent, the President is of the opinion that the allied military government should be given, particularly in the lower offices, as much of an American character and as large a proportion of American personnel as is practicable, with the purpose of facilitating our allied war effort in Husky and in other areas that may be occupied at a later date.