Office of the Historian

740.00119 EAC/10–1844: Telegram

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

London, October 18, 1944—4 p.m.
[Received October 18—2 p.m.]

8885. See your 8514, October 14, 10 p.m.8 My military adviser9 conferred yesterday Tuesday at SHAEF with Lt. General Bedell Smith.10 Also present Maj. General Hilldring and Brigadier General Julius Holmes.11 General Smith speaking for General Eisenhower, stated definitely that Etousa11a would accept delineation of boundaries in Germany as agreed at Quebec and as stated in paragraph 3 CCS 320/28, October 2,12 subject: Allocation of Zones of Occupation in Germany. General Smith also stated Etousa would accept the condition in the protocol of occupation of Germany whereby “Greater Berlin” is divided into three parts. General Smith further stated the Etousa would agree to the language contained in paragraphs 3(a) and 3(b) of CCS 320/28 with one qualification viz., that a clause be added to paragraph 3(b) as follows: “As the Commanding General of the U. S. Forces, Southwest Zone, may require”. Paragraph 3(b) [Page 355] as modified would thus read: “Enjoy necessary transit facilities through the Northwestern Zone as the Commanding General U. S. Forces Southwest Zone may require”.

As soon as I receive answer to this cable from Washington I propose to introduce into the E.A.C. the exact wording of paragraph 3 (a) and 3 (b) of CCS 320/28 with the above modification. This wording if approved by you will be proposed by me in accordance with express desire of General Smith and General Hilldring.

General Smith and General Hilldring both state that the wording “Control the ports of Bremen and Bremerhaven” means full control and administration of both these cities, including military government. This means working out a bilateral agreement with U. K. as to positive delimitation of city areas of Bremen and Bremerhaven which I am planning to do.

Winant
  1. Not printed; it reported that the draft amendments to be inserted in the protocol on zones of occupation had not yet been formally approved, and it urged that Ambassador Winant’s military advisers request informal guidance from Etousa pending final clearance (740.00119 EAC/10–1444).↩
  2. Brig. Gen. Vincent Meyer, who succeeded Brigadier General Wickersham in June 1944.↩
  3. Lt. Gen. Walter Bedell Smith, Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force.↩
  4. Deputy Chief, G–5 Division (Civil Affairs), SHAEF.↩
  5. European Theater of Operations, United States Army.↩
  6. Not printed; the substance of the British proposals which constituted the document were transmitted to the Department by the Ambassador in the United Kingdom in his telegram 8237, Comea 102, September 29, p. 342.↩