740.00119 Control (Germany)/9–2645: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the United States Political Adviser for Germany (Murphy)
655. Dept recognizes difficulties in enforcing exclusion from suffrage of persons included under removal categories in denazification program, but feels importance of establishing principle of such exclusion. It is hoped that local assistance of democratic German elements in preparation of list of eligible voters might facilitate enforcing such exclusion.
All persons formally in automatic removal categories, but cleared by military government after appeal and reappointed to office, should in our opinion enjoy full political rights, and provision therefor in election codes appears appropriate.
[Page 979]Dept did not participate in formulation of military government law cited in urtel 627,13 and does not know to what extent interpretation of it in practice goes beyond previously authorized military government directives. Dept would prefer that exclusion from suffrage be limited to persons in mandatory removal categories and others removed as demonstrably active Nazis, but leaves to your discretion whether right to vote be denied likewise all persons removed from private enterprise under MG law cited in urtel 627.
Although Dept feels strongly that active Nazis should be excluded from suffrage in interest of democratic reconstruction, it likewise believes that nominal members of Nazi party should not be denied suffrage in order that greatest number of Germans possible may be brought to participate in resumption of democratic procedures.