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

740.00119 Control (Germany)/8–1045: Telegram

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

Washington, August 22, 1945—5 p.m.

322. Reurtel unnumbered, August 10.⁸⁷ Dept notes that second meeting of Control Council⁸⁸ considered US proposal to make studies and recommendations respecting establishment of German administrative departments for finance, transportation, communications, foreign trade and industry.

Dept considers Terminal⁸⁹ agreement does not preclude establishment of department for agriculture⁹⁰ and suggests you take up proposal to establish such department with General Clay. Coordinated planning of agricultural production and distribution throughout Germany is necessary to maximum exploitation of indigenous resources, joint programming of imports and arrangements for interzonal exchange of essential commodities. Interzonal exchange of means of production will be indispensable to high agricultural output which in turn is essential to reduction of imports to minimum level.

Byrnes

87. Ante, p. 830.
88. August 10.
89. Code name for the Berlin Conference, July 17–August 2, 1945.
90. Reference is specifically to chapter II A, paragraph 9(iv) of the Communiqué of the Berlin Conference which provided for the establishment of German central administrative departments; see Foreign Relations, The Conference of Berlin (The Potsdam Conference), 1945, vol. ii, p. 1503.