840.4016 DP/7–545
No. 439
The Czechoslovak Under-Secretary
of State for Foreign Affairs (Clementis) to the
Chargé in Czechoslovakia (Klieforth)1
Monsieur le Chargé d’Affaires, On behalf of the Czechoslovak Government I have the honour to make the following communication:
Prior to the cessation of hostilities the President of Czechoslovakia and the Czechoslovak Government submitted to the Allied Governments a detailed memorandum2 accounting for the political necessity to evacuate a predominant part of the German and Hungarian population out of this country.
In this way, they acted as interpreters of elemental and unanimous wishes of the Czech and Slovak nations, who, anxious about the future of the State, entertain the desire to exclude from their midst any elements, that proved by their attitude to have been propagators of national hatred, willing instruments of hostile propaganda and instigators of dissension among states. The ultimate phase of the struggle for liberation strengthened in the Czechoslovak people the conviction that without the removal of a great majority of Germans and Magyars, by the way of transfer, no sound and peaceful development of our State and no lasting peace and stability in Central Europe could be secured.
The proposals contained in the aforesaid memorandum met with agreement, that is to say, no particular objection in principle has been raised. It has merely been pointed out by all our Allies that the transfer must proceed on organised lines, according to plan and in accord with relevant allied bodies.3 In view of the fact that in this transfer 2 to 2½ a million [sic] of Germans and approximately 400.000 Magyars are involved, the Czech Government came to the conviction that it is indispensable to carry out this scheme according to plan and on organised lines. The Czechoslovak Government is preparing a plan and a proper organisation of the transfer.
As to the transfer of Germans out of Czechoslovakia, the Czechoslovak Government would suggest that the Great Powers, performing the control over Germany, determine in accord with the Czechoslovak Government the number of people to be transferred into the respective zone of occupation and within fixed intervals. The technical execution [Page 647] of the transfer could be secured by the mediation of Czechoslovak coordinating missions, to be attached to the headquarters of each zone of occupation.
In respect of the transfer of the Magyars, the delegate of the Czechoslovak Government could discuss this question with the Control Commission in Budapest, to the effect that a major part of the transfer of the Magyar population out of Slovakia could be carried out on the basis of exchange of population, for there are approximately 345.000 Slovaks living in Hungary, who are desirous to be moved into Slovakia.
As stated above, the Czech and Slovak nations consider unanimously the transfer of Germans and Hungarians an essential necessity for the future of the Czechoslovak State and for the preservation of peace in Central Europe. It is, therefore, obvious that the attention of the entire Czechoslovak public opinion is drawn to this question, which is undoubtedly the most burning of all problems, the solution of which the Czechoslovak Government is endeavouring to attain. Any postponement of its settlement cannot but considerably disquiet all Czech and Slovak population.
As long as this elemental problem is not solved, all administrative, economic and social reconstruction and consolidation of the State is being hampered and delayed.
I should, therefore, Monsieur le Chargé [d’]Affaires, feel very grateful if you would convey this point of view of the President of the Czechoslovak Republic and of the Czechoslovak Government to the President Truman so as to make this question an object of discussion and decision for the coming conference of the Three.
A similar note is being addressed to representatives of the Governments of Great Britain and USSR.
Accept [etc.]
- This note was transmitted to the Secretary of State as an enclosure to document No. 186.↩
- Not printed.↩
- See document No. 440.↩