Foreign Relations of the United States, 1946, The British Commonwealth, Western and Central Europe, Volume V

740.00119 Control (Germany)/2–2746: Telegram

The Chargé in the United Kingdom (Gallman) to the Secretary of State

secret

London, February 27, 1946—3 p.m.
[Received February 27—1:41 p.m.]

2362. In a conversation we just had with Under Secretary Harvey⁴¹ he reverted to steps being taken in Russian Zone in Germany to fuse Communists and Social Democrats (reEmb’s 2147, Feb. 21, 2 p.m.⁴²). British Govt Harvey said, was closely watching effect of fusion plan on the considerable number of Communists in British Zone, particularly in Hamburg and in the Ruhr.

The fact that one of the German Communist leaders, Ulbricht,⁴³ was permitted by the Russians recently to condemn publicly any plan for separation of Ruhr from Germany showed how opportunist the policy dictated from Moscow was. Ulbricht’s speech was only one phase of the present Soviet plan to exploit nationalist feeling in Germany. Another was the rather widely expressed opinion in the Russian Zone that minor Nazis should be allowed to take part in the “reconstruction” of Germany.

Harvey said that there is no doubt in his mind that Moscow’s ultimate aim was a Communist Germany. He repeated what he had said to us previously, that appeals and directives emanating from “Soviet controlled” Berlin are bound to carry weight with the mass of German workmen. He felt, therefore, that most careful thought had to be given to the two questions: centralization of administrative machinery, and the level of industrial capacity.⁴⁴ How greatly would centralization now play into Russia’s hands? Will the level of industrial capacity agreed upon assure a fair measure of economic stability and stave off widespread suffering? These two questions, he said, could not be lightly disposed of.

Sent Dept as 2362; repeated Moscow as 84; Berlin as 217.

Gallman

41. Oliver Harvey, Deputy Under Secretary of State, British Foreign Office.
42. Not printed; this telegram reported on a previous conversation wherein Mr. Harvey had noted the zeal and skill with which the Soviet authorities appeared to be promoting the union of the Communists and Social Democrats in Berlin and the Soviet zone (740.00119 Control (Germany)/2–2146).
43. Walter Ulbricht, member of the Executive Committee, KPD.
44. For documentation on these subjects, see pp. 481 ff.