[Enclosure 1]
The British Foreign Secretary
(Bevin) to the Soviet
Foreign Commissar (Molotov)
Dear
M. Molotov, At the Plenary Meeting on July
25th last3
Generalissimo Stalin
said that the Soviet Government had received information to the
effect that German troops in Norway were not
[Page 1039]
being properly disarmed. Mr.
Churchill undertook
to have enquiries made and to submit a report on the facts.
M. Novikov subsequently
communicated to Sir W.
Strang an aide-mémoire
setting out the information in the hands of the Soviet
Government.
I have now received the following report from the competent
authorities in London, and I am happy to be able to tell you
that the allegations contained in the Soviet aide-mémoire of July 25th are without foundation.
The true situation is as follows:
At the conclusion of hostilities with Germany there were
in all 365,000 Germans in Norway. These were all
collected into reservations, up to ten miles square in
area, in which they were confined to within one
kilometre of the camps where they lived and the roads
joining such camps. A small number of Germans connected
with communications, supply and technical services are
“exempt” from confinement in these reservations and work
in depots and similar installations.
After collection into the reservations, the Germans in
Norway were all disarmed except for the officers and two
per cent of the other ranks. These were allowed to
retain pistols and rifles respectively, with a very
small quantity of ammunition, to maintain order and
discipline amongst themselves. There are in all about
7,300 Germans thus allowed to bear arms. No German is
allowed to bear arms outside his reservation, depot or
similar installation.
The Soviet aide-mémoire of July 25th
referred to reports that German troops stationed in the area
between the towns of Mo and Trondhjem, numbering about 260,000
men and those in the region of Tromsö numbering about 140,000
men were in possession of their arms and war equipment. The true facts are as follows:
In the Mo–Trondhjem area there are 49,688 Germans, of
whom 1,400 have been allowed to retain arms and 7,500
are “exempt” from confinement in reservations. In the
Bodö–Tromsö area, out of a total of 120,000 men, 2,750
are armed and 13,300 exempt from confinement. It will be
seen therefore that the reports referred to in the
Soviet aide-mémoire are incorrect
and devoid of foundation.
I should like to take this opportunity of raising a point
connected with the evacuation of the German troops from Norway.
108,000 of the Germans in Norway originated from the Russian
Zone of Occupation in Germany. The British military authorities
are at present responsible for the disposal of 54,000 of these
Germans, the United States military authorities having offered
to take responsibility for the remaining 54,000. It would much
facilitate the work
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of evacuation if the Soviet authorities would accept direct from
Norway those 54,000 Germans originating from the Russian Zone in
Germany who are now the responsibility of the British military
authorities. If the Soviet Government agree in principle to this
proposal, I would suggest that arrangements for transporting
these Germans direct from Norway to the Russian Zone in Germany
might be worked out by the appropriate British[,] Soviet and
possibly Swedish authorities.
