740.00119 EAC/3–2345: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 23—6:24 p.m.]
3036. Comea 197. Strang has tonight informed me of official British views concerning the transfer to French occupation of a part of the UK zone in Germany. As foreshadowed in my 1778, February 21, 1 p.m., the UK Government offers to transfer to French control the Saar, Bavarian Palatinate, Rhein Hessen, Regierungsbezirk Trier and Regierungsbezirk Koblenz in its entirety, including its extension east of the Rhine.
Immediately afterwards Strang informed Massigli of the British position. He expects to inform Gousev of it shortly.
Strang states that, according to reports of Steel, UK political adviser to SCAEF,4 General Eisenhower has been pressing to know what parts of the UK and US zones would eventually come under French control, in order, for the sake of administrative continuity, to begin placing French civil affairs officers in those areas. Strang assumes that the UK Government will shortly inform General Eisenhower of this decision but that no official decision with regard to this communication has yet been taken.
- Supreme Commander, Allied Expeditionary Force↩