Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1945, European Advisory Commission, Austria, Germany, Volume III

740.00119 EW/9–1845

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

Washington, September 24, 1945—7 p.m.

8387. For Reinstein. Dept sees no objection to your communicating substance of Soviet FonOff letter of Sept 16 (3303 of Sept 18 from Moscow to Dept repeated to London for Harriman as 462) informally to Brit and Fr (reur Conference system query⁶⁹).

You may also add informally that agreement of Soviet Govt to: a) moving Reparations Commission to Berlin; b) informing Separation Commission and Control Council of equipment left in Eastern Zone; c) permitting mixed commissions of specialists into Eastern Zone to become familiar with this equipment; d) suggested procedure for handling external assets is welcome to Dept; that Dept agrees that Berlin Protocol did not provide for Control Council determination of equipment to be removed from Eastern zones.

Remaining point of disagreement, since Secretary agreed on desirability of expediting determination of amount and character of equipment removable as reparation, is in allocation of 25 per cent of equipment from Western Germany due USSR under Protocol. Dept feels strongly that procedure suggested by Soviet Govt, initially for allocation of this 25 per cent by Reparations Commission, currently by Control Council, in advance of allocation of 75 per cent to all other claimants, gives USSR preferred position in allocation, and adversely affects interest of other claimants. British suggestion that Control Council allocate between USSR and Poland on one hand and other claimants on other, but only after consultation of US, Brit and Fr members with other claimants is agreeable to Dept in principle but appears clumsy in operation. (Embtel 9698 of Sept. 20.)

Please also note that Soviet letter to Kennan and Soviet memorandum to Secretary (urtel 9629 of Sept 18⁷²) give different dates for export of equipment from Western zones as advance deliveries, determination of which Soviet Govt wants made by Oct 15. Memorandum states deliveries should begin not later than Nov 1. Letter states deliveries should begin not later than Jan 1. Can you or Mosely ascertain from USSR delegation which date is correct, and advise Murphy for Clay.

Finally, you will note Dept’s suggestion to Murphy in Deptel dispatched today and repeated to London,⁷³ that final determination and its date will lose importance if Control Council furnishes successive lists of equipment eligible as advance deliveries. Please ascertain from Fr and Brit reps whether their elements in Control Council are likely to follow General Clay’s lead if he adopts Dept’s suggestion on this point. Brit view that advance deliveries should be held small quantities prior to final determination runs counter to this.

Sent to London as 8387; repeated to USPolAd Berlin for Murphy as 536. Repeated to Moscow and Paris.

Acheson

69. In a teletype conference, September 21, Mr. Reinstein asked if he might transmit to his French and British counterparts the text of the Soviet note of September 16 (740.00119 Council/9–2245).
72. Not printed; it transmitted the text of the memorandum by the Soviet Delegation to the Council of Foreign Ministers, September 14, C.F.M. (45) 15 on “Reparations from Germany”; for text of memorandum, see vol. ii, p. 158.
73. Telegram 535, infra.