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

740.00119 Control (Germany)/11–2145: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the United States Political Adviser for Germany (Murphy), at Berlin

Washington, November 23, 1945—5 p.m.

926. Urtel 1066 Nov 21.⁷³ Dept regrets delay in taking action on your letter and memo to Matthews of October 12 regarding population transfers since it agrees with you that US Govt should make clear its attitude. In meantime Dept has noted with satisfaction Control Council has adopted program for orderly and humane transfers.

Dept contemplates sending at once to Polish Govt following note which would be repeated to our Ambassadors at Moscow, London, Paris, Praha, USPolAd Berlin, AusPolAd Vienna, USRep Budapest with instructions to inform respective Govts or Allied colleagues. Please telegraph at once if you approve this procedure and text of proposed note.⁷⁴

Text of note to Warsaw: US Govt has been seriously perturbed by reports of continued mass movements of German refugees who appear to have entered Germany from areas east of the Oder-Neisse line. Reports indicate these refugees—mostly women, children and old people—have been arriving in terrible state of exhaustion and disease. Such mass distress among weak and helpless is not in accord with Potsdam Agreement, Paragraph 13 of which stipulates that population transfers shall be conducted in orderly and humane manner.

US Govt is informed that Control Council in Berlin has adopted program for orderly and humane transfers of German population from Poland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary. US Govt hopes Provisional Polish Govt will wholeheartedly cooperate in carrying out that program in the spirit of Paragraph 13, Potsdam Agreement.

Byrnes

73. See second paragraph of footnote 72, p. 1308.
74. In his telegram 1131, November 29, 1 p.m., the United States Political Adviser for Germany replied that he believed that the Department’s proposed note would be helpful in at least clarifying the American attitude on the question even though it might not materially improve immediate conditions (740.00119–Control (Germany)/11–2945). A few specific changes in the text of the note were suggested and were incorporated in the instructions sent to Warsaw in telegram 310, November 30, 6 p.m., p. 1317.