740.00119 Control (Germany)/9–2045: Telegram
The United States Political Adviser for Germany (Murphy) to the Secretary of State
[Received 2:03 p.m.]
52. Soviet removals of transportation and industrial equipment from Berlin have several times been mentioned at Kommandatura meetings but Soviet representative has taken a firm stand “on his rights” saying only the Council could make a decision to suspend any proposed removal. We have been asked for policy advice and suggestions how to terminate removals. I plan to inform Berlin district commander that while Berlin Protocol68 imposes no specific quantitative limitation on Soviet right to remove capital equipment from USSR zone to meet its reparations claims, it does impose general limitation that removal shall leave adequate resources to enable German people to subsist without external assistance and provides that there shall be maintained in Germany average living standards not exceeding the average living standards of European countries. Logical implication is that standards in Germany will not necessarily be inferior to average standards in European countries. Protocol further directs that Germany shall be treated as an economic unit. This unity of treatment would appear to be especially necessary in Berlin, the only area in Germany directly under quadripartite government. Arbitrary, uncoordinated and excessive removals of productive equipment from the Berlin area would be contrary to limitations on removals and economic and social objectives in protocol outlined above.
I further plan to suggest American member introduce and propose to the Kommandatura a resolution along following lines: “Members [Page 1055] of Kommandatura agree there shall be undertaken a survey of enterprises necessary to unified economic functioning of Berlin area and support of its population at living standards set forth in Berlin protocol. Pending completion of this survey, it is agreed there shall be no further removals of equipment or supplies from any sectors of Berlin for reparations or other purposes without prior consultation and agreement among commanding generals of other three sectors.”69
- Reference is to the Protocol of Proceedings of the Berlin Conference; see particularly sections II B, and III of the Protocol in Conference of Berlin (Potsdam), vol. ii, pp. 1483–1488.↩
- In telegram 549, September 26, to Berlin, the Acting Secretary of State informed Mr. Murphy as follows: “Dept is in accord with position outlined ur 52, Sept. 20 from Frankfurt re removals from Berlin.” (740.00119 Control (Germany)/9–2045)↩