740.00119 Control (Germany)/10–1045: Telegram

The United States Political Adviser for Germany (Murphy) to the Secretary of State

746. The eighth meeting of the Control Council was held October 10, with General Koenig presiding. Only three matters were considered.

The law to terminate and liquidate Nazi organizations, which passed the Coordinating Committee last week (see my 682, October 4, 3 p.m.14) received final approval. The Department will recall that property of these organizations is to be confiscated by the military commands and distributed under general directives of the Control Council. This law will be made on October 1215 with a statement showing that it confirms action already taken.

In view of the small amount of business before the Council and the difficulty of reaching Berlin, General Koenig proposed to limit the number of meetings of the Council to two per month, with the possibility that they might be double meetings. General Eisenhower [Page 846] opposed any cut down as a matter of principle, stating that the organization of Germany on right principles is our most important task and that the Council must be continually available to press this and to supervise. Accordingly any change that public opinion might interpret as a lessening of the Council’s interest and determination would be dangerous. He offered to make Berlin his permanent headquarters if necessary. General Sokolovsky stated that the organization stage is now over and that more questions of substance are to be expected. General Robertson stated that the British hope for the speedy setting up of the central administrations, and that when these are operating, the Council will have increased business in connection with them. He did not want too great an interval between meetings as General Koenig proposed. In view of the attitude of the other three, General Koenig consented to keep things as they now stand.

General Robertson distributed for information a paper setting forth the text of a British communication to nine governments expected to have commercial relations with the British Zone. This communication explained the provisional interim arrangements for the payment for exports from that zone. General Robertson explained that it was in conformity with the interim principles set up by the Council. General Eisenhower pointed out the necessity of setting up the central administrations from the point of view of exports and imports, with which General Sokolovsky agreed.

Murphy
  1. Not printed.
  2. Control Council Law No. 2, Berlin, October 10, 1945, Official Gazette of the Control Council for Germany, No. 1 (29 October 1945), p. 19.