840.811/8–2046
The Department of State to the French Embassy
Memorandum
The Department of State acknowledges the receipt of the memorandum No. 523 from the Embassy of France dated August 20, 1946.74 [Page 272] in which the French Embassy transmits certain proposals regarding French participation in an American, British and French tripartite organization to insure effective control of the German Rhine fleet.
With reference to the Embassy’s request that the United States
Government support the adoption of measures itemized in the
memorandum, as follows:
the Department of State believes that points 2, 3 and 4 as well as point 1 specifically concern the occupation authorities in Germany. The United States Government agrees with the French Government that it is the responsibility of the Allied Control Council in Berlin to reach a decision on a quantitative and qualitative limitation of the German Rhine fleet. Furthermore, when and if a decision is reached on a quadripartite basis that there is a surplus of German Rhine vessels over the minimum German requirements, the distribution of this surplus among reparation claimants should take place through I.A.R.A. as indicated in the Embassy’s memorandum. Questions 2 and 3 above are considered specific concerns of the occupation authorities in areas contiguous to the Rhine, that is, British, French and United States military authorities.
The United States Government accepts the proposal of the French Government that these questions as a whole should be discussed in an informal meeting to include representatives of the French and British Foreign Offices and the United States State Department as well as representatives from the French, British and United States occupation zones in Germany, provided that, as the Department understands from discussions with the representative of the French Embassy concerning this memorandum, the French Government now accepts in principle the formation of a German administrative organization, under adequate tripartite control, to administer a combined German fleet. Such a meeting should serve for an exchange of views preceding French participation in the tripartite organization.
It is understood that German vessels from the French zone are now being returned from French national administration to French zone administration and therefore that pooling of German Rhine vessels under German administration and tripartite control is agreeable to [Page 273] the French Government provided that adequate security and strict decartellisation of the fleet is arranged by the zonal authorities.
The inclusion of representatives from the Netherlands and Belgium in these discussions would appear to be premature at this time in as much as the coordination of traffic within Germany is a primary concern of the three occupying powers. However, when the three Governments have reached agreement on the tripartite organization, the United States Government believes that representatives of the three Governments should meet at some future date with representatives of the Netherlands and Belgium to discuss Rhine traffic matters which specifically concern those countries.
If the French Government prefers, the United States Government would be prepared to have these tripartite discussions held in Strassburg following the Central Rhine Commission meeting of October 11.76