Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1945, European Advisory Commission, Austria, Germany, Volume III

840.4016/9–2845

Memorandum by the State-War-Navy Coordinating Committee for the Secretary of State

Washington, 28 September 1945.

1. By informal action on 27 September 1945 the State-War-Navy Coordinating Committee agreed that the Joint Chiefs of Staff should transmit the attached message to the Commander in Chief, U.S. Forces of Occupation in Austria, and Commanding General, U.S. Forces, European Theater. The Joint Chiefs of Staff have been advised accordingly.

2. The Joint Chiefs of Staff also request that the Department of State make urgent representations to the Governments of the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, and France to instruct their representatives on the Control Council in Germany to agree to receive in their respective zones in Germany, those German displaced persons and surrendered German military personnel who formerly resided in their zones, but who are now in the U.S. zone in Austria.

3. The State-War-Navy Coordinating Committee further agreed that the Department of State should make urgent representations as requested by the Joint Chiefs of Staff.²¹

For the State-War-Navy Coordinating Committee:

H. Freeman Matthews

[Annex]

Message to the Commander in Chief, U.S. Forces of Occupation in Austria, and Commanding General, U.S. Forces, European Theater

1. Acute food, fuel and housing shortage and overpopulation in United States zone in Austria and political desirability of ousting Germans from Austria make it imperative that all Germans, except those entitled to United Nations status because of persecution, be evacuated to Germany from United States zone in Austria by 1 November 1945. Term “German” as used in this directive refers to German surrendered military personnel as well as persons defined in paragraph 21a of directive to the Commander in Chief, U.S. Forces of Occupation in Austria regarding military government in Austria (furnished the Commander in Chief, U.S. Forces of Occupation in Austria as J.C.S. 1369/6 and to the Commanding General, U.S. Forces, European Theater as IPCOG 9/2).²²

2. State Department will make urgent representations to United Kingdom, Soviet, and French Governments to agree to receive in their respective zones in Germany those Germans who formerly resided there. General Eisenhower should press in Control Council for immediate agreement for return of Germans now in Austria to zones of former residence in Germany.

3. Irrespective of progress of negotiations in Control Council, all Germans in United States zone in Austria formerly residing in United States zone in Germany should be evacuated immediately by the Commander in Chief, U.S. Forces of Occupation in Austria, and accepted by the Commanding General, U.S. Forces, European Theater.

4. If there is no prospect of speedy agreement in the Control Council, firm pressure should be placed upon United Kingdom and French Zone commanders in Germany to accept Germans formerly residing in their zones.

5. If by 1 October no agreement has been reached in the Control Council, the Commander in Chief, U.S. Forces of Occupation in Austria, and the Commanding General, U.S. Forces, European Theater, should effect necessary arrangements so that all Germans from United States zone in Austria will be moved to United States zone in Germany by 1 November 1945.

6. Although implementation of this directive may inconvenience United States military authorities in Germany the move is considered to be required by urgent political and economic necessity.

21. In telegram 4613, October 3, 8 p.m. to Paris (repeated mutatis mutandis as telegram 8761 to London, and as telegram 2092 to Moscow), vol. ii, p. 1285, the Department gave instructions regarding the representations to be made to the Governments of France, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union on the imperativeness of the evacuation of Germans from Austria.
22. See Conference of Berlin (Potsdam), vol. i, p. 337.