740.00119 Council/7–1846: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the United States Political Adviser for Germany (Murphy)
1559. Personal for Murphy from Cohen. Regarding urtel 1740 am conscious there may not be complete meeting of minds between Secretary and Bidault on central agencies. But personally believe effort should be made minimize if not obviate this difference. In a legal or theoretical sense, central German administrative departments may be considered allied offices or instruments of inter-allied control as there is no central German government and under the Potsdam Agreement they will act under the direction of Control Council. While Potsdam Agreement states that departments will be headed by [Page 580] state secretaries, I do not believe that the title of the heads or chiefs of the agencies carries any special significance. Important thing is that these central agencies be given adequate authority, subject to supervision of the Allied Control Council or the combined zonal authorities participating in our proposed scheme to administer Germany as economic unit as provided in Potsdam Agreement. The Secretary hopes that we may find a modus vivendi with the French if we avoid clash on verbal differences upon which their political situation may cause them to put exaggerated importance. If we can’t agree with them we hope it is clear that the difference is clearly substantive and not a matter of words. [Cohen.]