740.00119 Control (Rumania)/8–1445
The Acting Secretary of War (Patterson) to the Secretary of State
Dear Mr. Secretary: I invite your attention to incoming War Department message No. 7433 of 8 August 194529 from Brigadier General C. V. R. Schuyler, Chief, United States Military Representation, Allied Control Commission, Rumania, a copy of which has been furnished to the State Department. In this communication General Schuyler makes certain recommendations concerning United States participation on the Allied Control Commissions in the Balkans.
The reports of General Schuyler over the last few months have indicated that Soviet representation on the Allied Control Commission, Rumania, is not empowered to make decisions and is in no sense a policy making body. It appears from General Schuyler’s reports that every phase of Soviet participation on the Allied Control Commission is covered by detailed and explicit instructions from Moscow. A similar state of affairs is apparent from the reports of the Chiefs of the United States Military Representation in Hungary and Bulgaria. It is my understanding that the various aspects of United States participation on the Allied Control Commissions in the Balkans were to have been discussed at the Potsdam Conference, but that no revisions of their procedures were agreed between the participating nations.
General Schuyler proposes in his message that consideration be given to the establishment in Moscow of a tripartite Balkan Advisory Council which would have responsibility for administering the Allied Control Commissions in the Balkans, for formulating Allied policy in these countries, and finally for passing on to the Allied Control Commissions instructions and directives as may be considered necessary. It is General Schuyler’s concept that a tripartite Advisory Council of this kind would place the United States in a position where it would be represented at the source of the political policies and directives which are developed in Moscow. Under the present conditions the United States Representative is dealing with a Russian Representative who is in effect merely transmitting and executing instructions received from Moscow.
Although General Schuyler’s reports indicate that the status of the United States on the Allied Control Commission is not satisfactory, [Page 569] it is the view of the War Department that our Missions in the Balkans are a valuable source of intelligence.
The suggestions contained in General Schuyler’s message appear to be well taken, but as this matter is one primarily embodying political implications I am submitting it to you for your consideration.
Sincerely yours,