740.00119 Control (Germany)/6–2745: Telegram
The United States Political Adviser for Germany (Murphy) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 27—6:30 p.m.]
62. 1. This morning I discussed with Mosely by telephone subject of need for guarantee for US right of passage through French zone, an essential requirement which has not been mentioned in recent communications regarding the French zone in general.
Military authorities here have reaffirmed high importance of this matter and have recalled in this connection General Eisenhower’s [Page 346] message of April 19 to General Marshall (reference FWD 1946257a) in which SCAEF stressed that it would be necessary to have a clear agreement with the French, guaranteeing rights of passage through any part of the French zone lying contiguous to the west of the US zone. He added that this was essential not only prior to the transfer of US line of communication to Bremen but also thereafter, in order to carry to the French ports the great load of traffic to be redeployed southward.
2. I regret the insistence that the French accept southern Württemberg against their apparent desires since it involves the division and possible political obliteration of an important and historically liberal German federal unit.
It is noted that Ambassador Winant and Mr. Mosely have voiced objection to this solution which appears to us to be at variance with the directive to obtain the political decentralization of the Reich, the sound accomplishment of which would seem to depend on rebuilding and reviving the traditional federal units of Germany other than modern Prussia.
Sent Dept repeated to London as No. 10; copy to Paris.
- Not found in Department files.↩