840.414/12–1145: Telegram
The United States Political Adviser for Germany ( Murphy ) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 11—5:19 p.m.]
1236. MCC (Ministerial Collecting Center) near, Kassel is being closed by February 1 (third paragraph my 575, September 216) and General Clay has decided that all documents shall be moved to the American sector in Berlin. This necessitates the removal from MCC of those German Foreign Office archives there (Department’s 899, November 17). Part of the archives were left at Marburg pending final decision as to closing MCC and because of strong British objections to removal from Marburg.
All interested divisions have concurred in transfer of ministerial archives to Berlin except as regarding Foreign Office documents. It is necessary to have Department’s approval for such a move after Department has consulted with British. Consequently, I urgently recommend that Department take matter up at once with the British authorities and instruct that all Foreign Office archives both those at MCC and those at Marburg be transferred to American sector in Berlin [Page 1130] as soon as possible. I am assured that these archives will be safe here and can be jointly exploited in accordance with Department’s standing instructions by British and American authorities much more effectively and more expeditiously in Berlin than at Marburg.
In connection with foregoing it should be noted again that Foreign Office archives at Marburg are subject to fire hazard, and in my estimation are insufficiently safeguarded. The safeguarding at Marburg will continue to deteriorate as redeployment continues. Furthermore, the archives at Marburg are not being properly exploited. The British are making no concerted effort toward that end (perhaps because of their hope that these archives will eventually be transferred to British zone or to the US or UK) and the Americans are unable to exploit the archives properly because of lack of facilities at Marburg, lack of personnel and other conditions peculiar to Marburg. American microfilm units and all the desirable facilities now installed at MCC will be transferred to American sector in Berlin where they will be available for joint British-American exploitation of Foreign Office archives. Such American units and facilities cannot be made available at Marburg.
In recapitulation, I urge that Department promptly authorize transfer of all Foreign Office archives to Berlin especially since the security and safeguarding of these irreplaceable historical archives are now an American responsibility, which responsibility cannot be fulfilled properly if the archives remain at Marburg.
- Not printed.↩