740.00119 EAC/8–444: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)
6175. We have taken up with the President question of U.S. and British zones in Germany.8 He is awaiting an agreement by the Prime Minister that American troops will police northwest Germany and will not police southern Europe. It is the President’s view that as we have already agreed that the Soviets may police that part of Germany which they have expressed a desire to control he is unable to understand that any further discussion with the Soviets is necessary at this time.
In order to get the matter forward, we have sent the following instructions to Harriman:9
“The Russian representatives on the European Advisory Commission have stated that they are unable to proceed further with development of plans for military occupation of Germany until a decision is reached between the British and ourselves as to our respective zones of occupation in the Anglo-American area. As the President is away and this subject will require discussion between the United States and British Governments on the highest level, it is impossible for us to arrive at any solution of this question at the present time.
“In view of the agreement already made that the Soviets may police all that part of Germany in which they have expressed a desire to exercise control, we are unable to understand why they are concerned with the necessity of deciding this question before proceeding to any others.
“Because of the time factor and the necessity for all the Army commands to make their preparations for occupation based on tripartite discussions, please press upon Molotov the necessity for the Soviet representative on the European Advisory Commission to continue discussion of general occupation questions pending settlement between British and ourselves of our respective zones of occupation.”
You may wish to urge Eden and Strang to have Clark Kerr10 in Moscow press Molotov along the same lines.
- In a memorandum for President Roosevelt dated August 2, 1944, which is summarized in Pogue, The Supreme Command, p. 350, the Acting Secretary of State urged that the question of zones be settled as soon as possible and proposed that the United States accept the southern zone of Germany if the British would agree to occupy France, Italy, and the Balkans should that become necessary and would agree further to share use or control of northwest German ports with the United States.↩
- As telegram 1857, August 4, 9 p.m.↩
- Sir Archibald Clark Kerr, British Ambassador in the Soviet Union.↩