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  4. Document 687

740.00119 EAC/2–545: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)

[Extract]
Washington, February 28, 1945—7 p.m.

1527. SfAmb from Dunn.20 Please request your military adviser to make available to you War Department cable no. WARX 40618 of February 2021 to Eisenhower for McSherry repeated to SHAEF Rear for information for Wickersham from Hilldring. This cable discusses the questions raised in your 1278, February 5, 11 p.m.22 respecting an apparent divergence of views which has arisen in recent months over American, participation in the control of Germany. The replies to the War Department cable cited above are contained in SHAEF Main telegram S–79987, February 22 to War Department21 repeated to SHAEF Rear for Wickersham and telegram RR–16236 of February 23 from SHAEF Rear to War Department.23

These War Department cables will help to eliminate any misunderstandings that may have arisen. Furthermore the War Department is in entire agreement with the necessity of strengthening the authority of the Control Council as to nationwide policies and overall directives. This policy of central, coordinated administration and control was agreed upon by the heads of the three Governments at the Crimean Conference.24

. . . . . . .

[Dunn]
Acheson
  1. Secret for the Ambassador from Assistant Secretary of State James C. Dunn. A note in the handwriting of H. Freeman Matthews, Director of the Office of European Affairs, indicated that this message had also been approved by Assistant Secretary of War John J. McCloy.↩
  2. Not printed; for substance, see supra. ↩
  3. Ante, p. 405.↩
  4. Not printed; for substance, see supra. ↩
  5. Not printed; in this telegram General Wickersham indicated to General Hilldring that reports received in the War Department of a misconception of the role of the U.S. Group, Control Council, were not correct and that there was no need for further clarifying instructions from the Joint Chiefs of Staff. (Copy obtained from the Department of the Army files.)↩
  6. Reference is to part II of the Communiqué issued at the end of the Yalta Conference; see Conferences at Malta and Yalta, p. 970.↩