740.00119 Control (Rumania)/8–745: Telegram
The Chief of the United States Military Representation on the Allied Control Commission for Rumania (Schuyler) to the War Department
M–1356. During recent months it has become increasingly apparent that the ACC for Rumania is in no sense a policy-making body. It received explicit and detailed instructions from Moscow covering every phase of its activities. The ACC Chairman has no authority to depart from these instructions in any particular. This is abundantly clear from remarks of General Susaikov himself at the recent Joint ACC Meeting, as reported in my M–1312 of 27th July.24 Is assumed that ACC in Bulgaria and Hungary are subject to similar rigid control from Moscow.
Under these conditions it would seem that, even if US and British ACC Representatives were to be granted reasonable consultative and executive authority, the situation would still be far from satisfactory. We would still find it necessary to register frequent objections to instructions received from higher authority, our Russian counterparts would have no power to participate in compromise decisions, and disagreements over even the smallest details would have to be referred back to our Governments for final action. Actually, here in Rumania, I find little to object to in the manner in which General Susaikov carries out his instructions from Moscow. I do, however, find much which is objectionable in the instructions themselves. This leads naturally to the conclusion that, if such detailed instructions are to continue to emanate Moscow, then the US and British Governments should have a share in formulating them at the source.
[Page 565]I note that the Joint Declaration issued at conclusion of the Potsdam Conference includes a statement that revision of ACC procedures is not [now] to be undertaken. I therefore suggest for consideration in appropriate US agencies, the establishment in Moscow of a Tripartite Balkan Supervisory Council, with responsibility for administering the ACCs in Rumania, Hungary and Bulgaria, for formulating Allied policies in these countries and generally for passing on to the ACCs such additional instructions and directives as may be considered necessary. Such a council should assume all the functions, with respect to Balkan ACC, which prior to cessation of hostilities were exercised by Soviet High Command. It appears particularly inappropriate that after the end of hostilities, the latter agency should continue its ACC supervisory functions. If we cannot secure full tripartite power on the proposed council, then we should at least be represented, with the right to discuss all policies and other instructions before they are promulgated and when necessary to secure delay in their issuance until after agreement by the three governments concerned has been reached.
- Not printed.↩