740.00119 Council/4–547: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Acting Secretary of State
urgent
1211. Delsec 1394. For the President, Vandenberg, Connally and Acheson from Marshall. Twenty-first CFM meeting, April 5, Marshall presiding, considered the Coordination Committee’s recommendations on the creation of central administrative agencies for Germany and the establishment of a German Advisory Council.16
The Council reached the agreement in principle on the following paragraphs of a French proposal:
“The Control Council is directed to institute in the shortest possible time central German administrative departments dealing with those matters requiring central decision in the fields laid down in the Potsdam Agreement as well as for food and agriculture.
“These departments will be under the supervision [and direction of the appropriate quadripartite bodies] of the Allied Control Authority. When the German Provisional Government has been established new arrangements for control are envisaged.”
The third paragraph of the French proposal which reads “Each department will be under the direction of a German executive committee, consisting of representatives of the several Laender, with a chairman holding executive authority subject to the decisions of the majority of the committee” was accepted by Marshall but was opposed by Molotov, who said the committee would be too complicated and suggested that the clause be referred to the Allied Control Council for study. Bevin urged the Council to settle the question here rather than [Page 312] refer it to the ACC which might be unable to agree, thus holding up the creation of central agencies as occurred after Potsdam. It was decided to refer the clause to the CFM Coordination Committee.
The fourth paragraph of the French proposal states: “The above provisions do not apply to the Saar territory and do not prejudice the future regime of the Ruhr and Rhineland.” Bidault said that agreement to exclude the Saar was a condition of French acceptance of the creation of central administrative agencies and that the reference to the Ruhr and Rhineland was a French reservation. Marshall opposed the inclusion of this paragraph in the directive on central agencies but saw no objection to the French stating their reservation elsewhere. Molotov reserved his position on the entire clause adding that he was not prepared to speak on this subject. The paragraph was referred back to committee with the understanding that the French would reserve their final decision until they could study the redraft.
The second section of the committee’s report was accepted without change. It read “The Allied Control Council will issue directives necessary for the guidance of these departments, including directives specifying the administrative functions to be allocated to the authorities of the Laender”.
No agreement was reached on the third section which deals with the relationship of the central agencies to the Allied Control Council for Germany and to the Zone Commanders. Marshall stated that he favored the principle of non-intervention by Zone Commanders in the affairs of the central agencies. He added that so long as the military commander has authority to maintain security, his activities at this stage should be restricted rather than increased. This section was referred back to the committee.
The remainder of the meeting was spent discussing the establishment of a German Advisory Council. The US and UK proposals favored establishing the Council simultaneously with the establishment of the German central agencies; the French favored its establishment as soon as the boundaries of Germany have been determined and the Soviets wanted to set it up after the central agencies had completed an indefinite probationary period. It was agreed in principle that the Council would be created three months after the creation of the German central agencies. Bevin added that he wanted to see the provisional government set up at the end of one year.
Molotov’s opposition prevented agreement on the composition of the Advisory Council.17 Marshall and Bevin accepted in principle a [Page 313] French proposal that “The Council shall consist of three representatives from each land appointed either by the government or by the Landtag of the land, and representing democratic public opinion in that land. The Advisory Council may consult the political parties and the trade unions”. Molotov insisted that the Advisory Council be composed not only of representatives of the Laender, but also of representatives of political parties, trade unions and anti-Nazi organizations. Marshall pointed out that the representatives of the Laender would consult with the other groups mentioned by Molotov. He cited the system of committee hearings used by the US Senate and House as a practical means of obtaining the views of non-governmental groups. In view of the divergent views, the question was referred back to the committee.
The Council will continue discussion on Monday of the remainder of the report.
Repeated London 128, Berlin 221.
Department please pass to Vienna as 25, to Rome as 23 and to Paris as 108.
- The Coordinating Committee’s Report to the Council under reference here, document CFM(47) (M)101, April 4, 1947, is not printed. For the subsequent redraft of that Report, see document CFM(47) (M)121, April 11, 1947, p. 436.↩
- Molotov’s statements regarding the composition of a German Advisory Council, made during this meeting of the Council, are quoted at length in Molotov, Speeches and Statements at Moscow, pp. 67–69.↩