740.00119 Control (Germany)/9–1145: Telegram
The United States Political Adviser for Germany ( Murphy ) to the Secretary of State
[Received 11:35 p.m.]
498. At today’s meeting of the Quadripartite Committee on Food and Agriculture, the Russian representative indicated that his Government [Page 869] did not consider the time ripe for setting up a central German administration for food and agriculture. The Russian attitude, notwithstanding the Potsdam Agreement on pursuit of common policies and a recent instruction by the Economic Directorate to the Food and Agriculture Committee to submit a paper in regard to common policies on agriculture (in connection with which today’s Soviet statement was made) may well be related to the recent steps toward land reform in the Russian zone referred to in our 478 of September 8, 11 p.m.6 and preceding telegrams.
It is our view that a central German administration would be an important instrument in the carrying out of common policy and would be especially useful in connection with land reform measures.