860F.01/7–745
Major General E. N. Harmon, Commanding General, XXII Corps, to the Chargé in Czechoslovakia (Klieforth)42
Dear Mr. Klieforth: I am in receipt of your letter of 5th instant which I have forwarded to the Commanding General, Third Army,43 for his information and such action as is appropriate.
As you understand, the question of the movement of American troops from Czechoslovakia is one to be settled on a level much higher than the XXII American Corps. However, the subject of interference with the local Czech Government administration within the zone now occupied by American troops is one that is receiving my fullest attention with a view to the most satisfactory arrangements with all parties concerned.
It has been difficult to understand and adjust all differences during the short period of two weeks that I have been in Czechoslovakia. Every day new questions arise which are being adjusted under the general policy of the American Army assisting in the re-establishment of the local Czech Government in every way possible with a minimum of interference. Some of the areas have little or no trouble. The American officers and the local officials get on splendidly together and cooperate to the fullest extent. In other areas, there is more difficulty, in some instances due to lack of appreciation by American officers of their real mission which is being straightened out by me immediately; in other instances the trouble lies with the local Czech officials who are impatient to get everything done at once and desire to use methods that are contrary to the ideals of America and are repugnant to the local American commanders and their troops. I am getting out an order today a copy of which I shall send to you for your information. It will give you an indication of what we are trying to do on this general subject.
[Page 471]I regret very much the incident where you felt it necessary to apologize for the action of an American soldier in stopping the Vice Premier, Mr. Siroky. I made a personal investigation of the incident immediately after having received the report. The automobile carrying the Vice Premier arrived at a crossroad at a high rate of speed. At the crossroad an American soldier, acting as Military Police, was directing traffic. At that moment a long convoy containing German Prisoners of War was passing the crossroad en route to Germany. In our Army convoys have the right of way until individual cars can be safely allowed on the road. As you know, trucks in convoy travel fairly close together and the convoy proceeds at a regular speed with regular intervals between vehicles. As an American General with full identification on my car as such, I have been repeatedly stopped under such circumstances until my car could be safely let into the traffic.
The Czech automobile, as stated before, came down at a high rate of speed and apparently insisted on moving right on into the main highway. The Czech driver shouted that he was a Czech and the American replied, “I am an American soldier. Wait.” At this time, the Vice Premier identified himself and the American soldier permitted him to proceed as soon as he found a gap in the traffic where he could do so safely.
I interviewed the American soldier myself and found him to be a very neat and courteous soldier, and I believe his story is essentially correct. A little forbearance on the part of the Czech officials, a little less strenuous assertion of their rights, a little patience, and there would have been no incident of any kind. Had the American soldier allowed the Czech vehicle to rush blindly into the convoy and a serious accident had resulted, the American soldier would have certainly been at fault—and a serious fault indeed.
On July 5th there was presented to me for the first time since being in this area a request to vacate certain Czech establishments. I requested that the Czech authorities present me specific buildings they desired to be vacated and I would do all possible to meet their demands. Among other things suggested was the matter of hospitals. As you know, we have over 15,000 wounded Germans in Czech hospitals. Also, we had a requirement to maintain space for 10,000 additional patients. This latter requirement was cancelled during the past two days. We have already turned over some hospitals to the Czechs. We are removing German patients from the hospitals and sending them to Germany as fast as their condition will permit. We are consolidating patients in the hospitals as fast as we can and expect to turn more installations of this nature over to the Czech authorities as soon as it is possible to do so.
[Page 472]Every effort will be made by me to free installations for use by the Czech officials as fast as I can. However, it must be borne in mind that our troops have come a long way for the liberation of European countries. Our Government is now sending these millions of men back home for redeployment in other theaters or for discharge as fast as shipping and other arrangements can be made. This all takes time and until it can be accomplished, and until space can be found for our troops elsewhere, the Czech people must be patient and the American soldier must be given a reasonable standard of living conditions such as he is accustomed to and deserves.
I appreciate your courtesy in bringing all these matters to my attention and I assure you, and through you the Czech Government, that the American Army will do all that it can during its stay in Czechoslovakia to operate on a friendly and cooperative basis with Czech Government officials.
With kindest personal regards,
Sincerely yours,