860C.00/2–2047
The United States Deputy for Germany at the Council of Foreign Ministers (Murphy) to the Secretary of State
No. 90
Sir: I have the honor to refer to despatch no. 8401 dated January 9 from the American Mission at Berlin, despatch no. 1091 dated January 28 from the American Embassy in Warsaw, and that Mission’s Report No. 101, dated January 21, regarding the Polish-administered area of Germany.34 The comprehensive survey contained in the latter summarizes the available information on the present situation, with particular reference to Polish achievements to date and the economic importance of the area to post-war Poland.
The attached memorandum,35 prepared by two members of my staff, reviews several other factors of importance to the formulation of American policy on the post-war Polish-German frontier, in particular: data on areas, population, and population density; the economic importance of the present Polish-administered area to Germany; and the treatment of the German population there. The main conclusions to be drawn are that: the formal acceptance of the present Oder-Neisse line would create a striking disproportion in the population densities of post-war Germany and Poland; the return of at least part of this area to Germany is desirable if that country is to attain a tolerable food standard; and, apart from Upper Silesia, the present Polish-administered area would not add materially to Germany’s economic war potential, since both minerals and basic industrial production are concentrated in that part of the area. At the same time, Poland should be able, based on her post-war population and former self-sufficiency in food, to develop satisfactorily without the possession of all this territory. An additional consideration that cannot be avoided is the fact that, despite the words of the Potsdam Protocol, the treatment of Germans in the area, and especially their westward expulsion, has been both disorderly and inhumane.
Respectfully yours,