840.70/5–545
Memorandum by the Acting Chairman of the State-War-Navy Coordinating Committee (Matthews) to the Secretary of State
The Joint Chiefs of Staff have considered the letter from the Department of State to the Secretaries of War and the Navy, dated 30 April 19451 and its enclosed “Agreement Concerning a Provisional Organization for European Inland Transport” and “Draft Agreement Concerning the Establishment of an European Central Inland Transport Organization” together with the “Annex Relating to Traffic on Inland Waterways.”2
It is the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff that there is no military objection to the organization as proposed, and in fact, it would be of value by making it possible for the military authorities to divest themselves of the responsibility for transportation at an earlier date than would otherwise be possible.
They consider, however, that in order to make it clear that the term “Allied Commanders in Chief” is meant to include not only commanders designated by a combination of the powers named, but also commanders designated by any one of the powers, paragraph 9 of Article XIV of the draft agreement should be rewritten as follows:
“9. The term ‘Allied Commanders in Chief shall mean any Commander in Chief designated for commands on the Continent of Europe by the appropriate authorities of any of the following: the French Republic, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.”
It must be pointed out, however, that in the carrying out of the operation of the organization the U.S. representative on the European central inland transport organization should be instructed to safeguard the interests of the U.S. military authorities with particular reference to the matters outlined in the letter from the Combined Chiefs of Staff to the Department of State and the Foreign Office, dated 2 September 1944.1
[Page 1365]The Secretaries of War and the Navy concur in the views of the Joint Chiefs of Staff expressed above.