840.50/11–1545: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in France (Caffery)
5322. Combined Chiefs of Staff have decided to terminate combined military supply responsibility in Germany and Austria. Provision [Page 1111] of supplies from combined military stocks to French Zones of Germany and Austria will accordingly cease. American and Brit Zone Commanders will make available supplies sufficient in their judgment to meet requirements in French Zones up to November 30 and to provide reasonable working reserve. French Govt is expected to reimburse supplying Govts, namely, U.S., U.K., and Canada for supplies furnished to French Zones. Notification to French Govt respecting these decisions is to be made by both Brit and American Govts. Accordingly, you are requested to deliver following memo to French FonOff. You should check with your Brit colleague to coordinate time of delivery of memos to French Govt. For your info Canadians are apparently not intending to deliver similar memo to French. Memo follows.
“Reference is made to the note of April 4, 1945 from the United States Government to the French Government91 respecting payment for the civilian supplies furnished to Metropolitan France by the United States and United Kingdom forces. Similar notes were addressed to the French Government by the British and Canadian Governments.
Civilian supplies have likewise been furnished to the French Zones of Germany and Austria, including Berlin and Vienna, from the combined military stocks of the United States and United Kingdom forces, some of which originated from Canadian sources. The Combined Chiefs of Staff have now decided, however, that combined United States and United Kingdom military responsibility for the provision of civilian supplies to Germany and Austria, including those for displaced persons, should terminate upon the completion of October 1945 loadings except for wheat and flour in which case combined responsibility will terminate upon the completion of shipments necessary to carry out the agreement made by the United States and United Kingdom Zone Commanders for the appointment of available combined supplies and credits of wheat and flour between the United States, United Kingdom and French Zones of Germany and Berlin and the United States and French Zones of Austria and Vienna. Accordingly, combined United States and United Kingdom military responsibility for the provision of civilian supplies, including those for displaced persons, to the French Zones of Germany and Austria, including Berlin and Vienna, will terminate as indicated above. To effect orderly liquidation of combined military responsibility in the French Zones for items other than wheat and flour, the United States and United Kingdom Zone Commanders in Germany and Austria, respectively, will provide supplies sufficient in their judgment to meet issue requirements in the French Zones up to November 30, 1945 and to provide a reasonable working reserve, as was done in the agreement for apportionment of wheat and flour supplies and credits.
The French Government will be expected to reimburse the United States, United Kingdom and Canadian Governments, respectively, [Page 1112] for all civilian supplies procured under combined military responsibility and provided to the French Zones of Germany and Austria, including Berlin and Vienna. The arrangements for billing and collection in connection with such reimbursement are expected to be similar to those specified in the note of April 4, 1945.
It is understood that the British Government is addressing a similar communication to the French Government.”
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