Office of the Historian

740.00119 EAC/172c: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)

Washington, May 1, 1944—11 p.m.

3499. Eacom 18. With reference to the question of zones of occupation of German and Austrian territory, the following instructions51 to you have been approved by the Department, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the President:

1.
You may concur in a recommendation by the European Advisory Commission that the boundaries of the Soviet Zone of Occupation be defined as proposed by the Soviet Delegation.
2.
You may concur in a recommendation by the Commission that the boundary between the northwestern zone and the southern zone be defined as proposed by the British Delegation.
3.
With respect to the zones to be occupied by the United States and the United Kingdom, you are instructed to adhere to the directives which were set forth in the Department’s 1435 of February 25 [26] 5 p.m. (Eacom 7) transmitting the decision of the President that American forces should occupy the northwestern zone. This Government is of the opinion that the southern zone, including Austria, should be occupied by armed forces of the United Kingdom.

Hull
  1. The original draft of these instructions was prepared by the Working Security Committee as WS–134b, dated April 17, 1944, not printed.↩