740.00119 Control (Germany)/7–745: Telegram
No. 515
The Political Adviser in
Germany (Murphy) to the Acting Secretary of State
1
us urgent—niact
130. There was a second meeting of the Berlin Kommandatura this afternoon in Berlin at Marshal Zhukov’s headquarters attended by Zhukov and his staff, General Clay, General Weeks representing the American and British control groups, Sobelev and myself. …
. . . . . . .
[Page 756]Discussion of the fuel supply elicited some illuminating comments from Zhukov. … Zhukov said that as the Silesian coal deposits were now in another jurisdiction, i. e. Poland, they were not available. I expressed surprise, stating that it was my understanding that Silesia formed part of the Soviet zone of occupation of Germany. Zhukov corrected me, saying that Germany did not exist and that everyone knew that the Crimea Conference established the Polish frontier along the Oder and Neisse rivers. I replied that I had been laboring under the impression that for the purpose of the Control Council for Germany the territory whose resources would be available was as described in the agreement on zones of occupation recommended by EAC and approved by the govts.3 Zhukov left no doubt in our minds that any resources east of the Oder Neisse line are not available in the joint administration of German territory, I would appreciate the Dept’s immediate advice on this point.
. . . . . . .
- The gist of this message was included in telegram No. 11 of July 10 from Grew to Byrnes (file No. 740.00119 Potsdam/7–1045).↩
- For other portions of this message, see document No. 429.↩
- i. e., the protocol signed at London, September 12, 1944. For text, see Treaties and Other International Acts Series No. 3071; United States Treaties and Other International Agreements, vol. 5, pt. 2, p. 2078; Foreign Relations, The Conferences at Malta and Yalta, 1945, p. 118.↩