Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1945, General: Political and Economic Matters, Volume II

860F.4016/7–445: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Chargé in Czechoslovakia (Klieforth)

Washington, July 13, 1945—7 p.m.

54. Urtel 44 June 28 and 59 July 4.⁵⁵ Please deliver note along following lines to Zecho Govt:

US Govt acknowledges receipt of Zecho note of July 3 concerning transfer of German and Hungarian minorities. US Govt has already made its views known to Zecho Govt in note of Jan 31, 1945.^55a At that time US Govt stated it fully appreciated injuries suffered by Zecho at hands of Germans and German minority during past decade and was prepared to examine question in effort to arrive at satisfactory solution. US pointed out that solution will have to take into account broader aspects of problem in relation to future peace and security in Europe as well as particular problems facing Govts responsible for military occupation in Germany.

In view of importance of questions of minority transfers for European peace as a whole, US Govt believes that transfers as proposed in Zecho notes Nov 23, 1944 and July 3, 1945 should be carried out only on organized lines and in accordance with international agreement. US also appreciates importance attached by Zecho Govt to early solution of problem as basis for national rehabilitation and reconstruction. Therefore US Govt is gratified that Zecho Govt is preparing plan for organized transfer of minority population which will take into account particular problems facing Allied powers. If plan is presented immediately upon completion to Control Council Germany and Allied Control Commission Hungary, US Govt confident it will receive immediate consideration by states represented on these bodies and will be discussed with appropriate Zecho authorities. End of summary.

For your background information and possible informal communication in your discretion to Pres Benes, US delegation to Big Three briefed to discuss this question in relation to whole minority problem.⁵⁶

Grew

[From July 17 to August 2, 1945, President Truman, British Prime Minister Churchill (later, Prime Minister Attlee), and Generalissimo Stalin and their advisers met in conference in Berlin. For the record of the Conference as regards the transfer of German populations from Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary, see Conference of Berlin (Potsdam), volume II, pages 210–215, 218–221, 248, 262, 333, 335, 383–391, 398–400, 402, 523–524, 536–537, and 539. For Conference documents relative to the problem of the transfer of German populations, see ibid., volume I, page 643 and volume II, page 1035. For the decisions of the Berlin Conference regarding the transfer of German populations, see the Protocol of the Proceedings of the Berlin Conference, August 1, 1945, section XIII (XII), ibid., volume II, page 1495, and the Report on the Tripartite Conference of Berlin, August 2, 1945, ibid., page 1511.]

55. Latter not printed; it transmitted text of the note of July 3 from the Czechoslovak Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to the American Chargé in Czechoslovakia, p. 1261.
56. See instruction No. 41, January 16, to the Chargé near the Czechoslovak Government in Exile, p. 1246.
56. See Briefing Book Paper entitled “Czechoslovakia: Expulsion of Minority Groups”, dated June 23, 1945, prepared by the Department of State for the background information of the United States delegation to the Conference of Berlin, Conference of Berlin (Potsdam), vol. i, p. 643.