740.00119 Control (Austria)/3–1945
The Ambassador in Italy (Kirk) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 19—9:15 p.m.]
104. From Gray. My 1015, March 17, 1 p.m. [midnight]. General McNarney has replied today to General Dean’s cable as follows:
(Begin paraphrase) I am agreeable to your suggestion about discussing the matter with the Soviet General Staff subject to the provision that at the beginning our representation will only comprise a liaison group of two or three officers with the same representation from the British side. The question of any augmentation that may be necessary for the purpose of carrying out future details and coordinated planning should be determined by preliminary discussions between this liaison group and the representatives of the Soviets. In the event that no suggestions of a specific nature are made by the Soviets as to a place of meeting, please issue their representatives an invitation to proceed to Caserta or Rome. SACMED has cleared this message. (End paraphrase).
It may be noted that this entire matter for the present is proceeding through straight military channels. The inclusion of the British came about when the cable was presented to SACMED for clearance.
Sent Department; repeated to Embassy London for Ambassador and Erhardt as 147. [Gray.]