Foreign Relations of the United States, 1948, Germany and Austria, Volume II

740.00119 Control (Germany)/10–1748

Record Prepared by the United States Political Adviser for Germany ( Murphy ) of a Meeting of the Military Governors of the Western Zones of Occupation of Germany, Frankfurt, October 16, 1948 ¹

[Extracts]

secret

[Undated.]

. . . . . . . .

7. It was agreed that the JEIA agreement² is now ready for signature and will be signed Monday.

. . . . . . . .

16. Subsequently discussion developed surprise on the part of the French that the US and UK Delegations contemplated the preparation and conclusion of a trizonal fusion agreement. General Noiret said this was a new position as far as he was concerned and that he was positive that his government contemplated nothing more than the harmonization measures which have been under discussion³ and the conclusion of the JEIA participation agreement. The US and UK Delegations refreshed his recollection regarding the conversations at London last spring and made particular reference to Annex D, Article 6b⁴ which relates to the paper on international control of the Ruhr and specifically refers to the bizonal fusion agreement and to any trizonal fusion agreement which may be concluded. The French asserted that there never had been any thought on the part of Paris to entering into a fusion agreement which might call for a contribution of expense to the German economy.

. . . . . . . .

Robert Murphy

1. The source text was sent to the Department of State as an enclosure to a brief transmittal letter of October 17 from Ambassador Murphy to Assistant Secretary of State Saltzman, not printed.

   The source text does not contain a list of participants, but the record indicates that the discussion was carried on between Generals Clay, Robertson, and Noiret (substituting for General Koenig). Also present for the United States were Ambassador Murphy and OMGUS Finance Director Jack Bennett.

   For another portion of this record dealing with the work of the Parliamentary Council, see p. 432.

2. The agreement is printed infra.
3. The discussion under reference occurred during the consideration of the draft Occupation Statute.
4. The reference here is to document TRI/23 (Final), May 26, p. 290, which was included as Annex D to the Report of the London Conference on Germany, June 1, p. 309.