The Commanding General, United States Forces, European Theater (Eisenhower) to the War Department 71
[Received August 8.]
SC–6037. 1. The Report of the Tripartite Conference at Berlin includes provisions that “all Democratic political parties with rights of assembly and of public discussion shall be allowed and encouraged throughout Germany” and that “subject to the maintenance of military security the formation of free trade unions shall be permitted”.72
Telegram 274, August 8, 6 p.m., from Frankfurt, directed the attention of the Department of State to this military telegram (740.00119 Control (Germany)/8–845).
[Page 955]2. You will accordingly permit, upon application, the formation of Democratic political parties to engage in political activities at the Kreis level. Section III of the directive of this headquarters, dated 7 July 1945, “Administration of Military Government in the U.S. Zone in Germany”, is modified accordingly.73
3. You shall also grant permissions to form trade unions in accordance with the conditions specified in Amendment Number One to SHAEF Military Government Technical Manual for Labor Officers, 1 August 1945. The requirement of submission to this headquarters of requests for permission to form trade unions contained in such Amendment number 1 and in par. 1b of Part 4 of section XV of the directive of 7 July is hereby withdrawn.
4. You shall also authorize, upon application, public meetings for either of the foregoing purposes, subject to the necessity for maintaining public order and military security.
5. Authority to carry out these provisions shall be delegated by you to Kreis Military Government Detachments, except that you will delegate authority to permit formation of any trade unions only to Military Government Detachments with a labor officer, and of trade unions with jurisdiction beyond a Kreis, only to Regional Military Government Detachments.
6. Reports shall be made to this headquarters of all political parties and trade unions authorized and of any denial of applications for permission to form political parties, or trade unions or to hold public meetings as authorized by this directive.
7. The directive of 7 July 1945, amendments and supplements thereto, the SHAEF Handbook for Military Government, and the Military Government Technical Manuals are removed from the restricted classification.
8. Detailed amendments to the directive of 7 July 1945 are in progress of preparation to reflect changes in policy resulting from the Tripartite Conference at Berlin.
9. Please acknowledge and advise USFET when your instructions have reached all MG Detachments.
- Copy of this telegram obtained from the Department of the Army files. This military telegram was directed to the Commanding Generals of the Eastern and Western Military Districts and sent for information to the Adjutant General, War Department, and the U.S. Group, Control Council.↩
- Quotations are taken from section III, paragraphs 9 (ii) and 10 of the Report; for texts, see Conference of Berlin (Potsdam), vol. ii, pp. 1503–1504.↩
- A copy of this directive was enclosed with despatch 626, July 13, from Mr. Murphy, neither printed. Section III prohibited political party activity until authorized by USFET Headquarters. No political party was to have any part in determining Military Government policies, but local Military Government officials were to encourage “the formation of small advisory groups composed of representatives of ascertained anti-Nazi views …” Such groups were expected to prove helpful in development of democratic processes (740.00119 Control (Germany)/7–1345).↩