740.00119 Control (Germany) /11–1046: Telegram

Mr. Donald Heath, Chargé in the Office of the United States Political Adviser for Germany ( Murphy ), to the Secretary of State

[Extract]
secret

2598. Mytel 2596, November 10.44 Following additional matters of interest were discussed at 88th meeting Coordinating Committee November 9.

(1) Coordinating Committee considered US proposal on freedom of air transport based on JCS 115145 and first raised in Air Directorate last December. Soviet delegation had previously maintained matter was beyond competence of Directorate but in Coordinating Committee meeting acknowledged that under terms of reference of new Combined Services Directorate46 operational problems of air transport could be considered at Directorate level but basic matters must be decided by Control Council. He maintained it was premature to deal with question of freedom of flight over Germany since four zones not yet merged. As regards proposal for additional corridors over Soviet zone, he said present arrangements were adequate to meet needs of Allied forces in Berlin. US, British and French members held issue was not premature and British member referred to Potsdam Declaration on economic and political principles and favored submission of question to Control Council. Soviet member stated situation had not changed sufficiently to facilitate an over-all solution but while maintaining his reservations regarding freedom of flight [Page 765] and additional corridors, he agreed to reference back of US proposal to Air Directorate for further study of other problems.47

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Heath
  1. Not printed; this telegram reported on matters discussed at the 88th Coordinating Committee meeting not related to aviation (740.00119 Control (Germany)/11–1046).
  2. Not printed.
  3. The Combined Services Directorate was to take the place of the existing Air, Naval, and Military Directorates.
  4. This matter was raised again at the 89th Coordinating Committee meeting, November 16. In telegram 2648, November 18, from Berlin, Mr. Heath reported: “US and British members requested confirmation of reservations made by the Soviet delegation at last meeting on freedom of flight over Germany and additional air corridors (mytel 2598 November 10). They stated that if they had clearly understood these reservations they would have requested reference of question to Control Council rather than to Air Directorate, Soviet member reiterated his objections on these two points and paper was consequently put on Control Council agenda for November 20.” (740.00119 Control (Germany)/11–1846)