740.00119 European Advisory Commission/138: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
[Received 11:23 p.m.]
2492. Comea 48. Inter-Allied Committee of Foreign Ministers in London has given Schoenfeld copy of proposed study program for disarmament of Germany drawn up by its Armistice Study Committee13 and has requested program be submitted to United States Government for examination and comment (Schoenfeld’s despatch 538 March 1, 1944.)14 Similar requests were made to British and Soviet Governments.
Strang has sent me copy of his preliminary reply to Van Langenhove, President of above-mentioned Armistice Study Committee. Strang noted with approval comprehensive nature of proposed disarmament studies but commented that he assumed not all questions listed would be expressly provided for in armistice document itself [Page 53] since “it seems to us preferable to take broad powers under the armistice for dealing with these matters and to implement them by subsequent directives”. In conclusion Strang stated “It would still of course be essential to decide among ourselves in advance what those measures were to be and we feel therefore that your proposed study would be a most useful contribution”.
In letter of March 25, Jebb15 of Strang’s staff informed us British agreed this Committee should be encouraged to communicate its studies to the EAC officially but that it should preferably continue to approach the three Governments direct for comments or material to help in its work. Jebb indicated British were now considering what factual material they could make available to the Foreign Ministers Committee. (Strang evidently is acting in this matter in his capacity as Foreign Office official rather than as representative of EAC.)