740.00119 Control (Germany)/11–2445: Telegram
The United States Political Adviser for Germany (Murphy) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 25—10:58 a.m.]
1092. 1. The twenty-second meeting of the Coordinating Committee. Russian member presiding.
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3. In absence of a central German transport agency, US and Russian members considered certain proposals of the Transport Directorate as premature which would have set up a system for the exchange of information on roads throughout Germany and would have provided for the issuance of uniform directives to the railroad administrations. French member explained that the question of central agencies was being dealt with on a governmental basis and that he had no information on results of discussions in London and Washington.73 General Clay stated that the failure to establish a central transport agency had resulted in a severe economic set-back and had reduced the quantities of coal available for liberated areas. He declared US was prepared to enter into tripartite agreement for the establishment of central administrations.74 Russian member made the important statement that he was unable to negotiate such a separate agreement since the Potsdam decisions called for central organs for all four zones. Consideration of report was indefinitely deferred. Similar views were expressed with respect to a proposal for the establishment of a statistical agency. It was withdrawn from the agenda.
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- Cf. Clay, Decision in Germany, p. 110.↩
- The agreed minutes of the meeting (CORO/M(45)22), transmitted to the Department in despatch 1413, November 29, from Berlin, record General Olay as pointing to the readiness of the U.S. delegation “to commence negotiations on the establishment of a Central German Transport Department for three zones, emphasizing that delay in the establishment of this agency would to a certain extent hinder the restoration of German economy.” (740.00119 Control (Germany)/11–2945)↩