740.00119 Control (Germany)/1–948: Telegram
The United States Political Adviser for Germany ( Murphy ) to the Secretary of State
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47. Personal for Saltzman and Hickerson Eyes Only. I would like to say a word to you regarding telegrams I have sent you from Frankfurt and Berlin (reference mytel 46, January 91). Neither on American nor as far as I know on UK side were the proposals made to Germans concerning reorganization of bizonal agencies formally reduced to writing. As far as I know, General Clay has not informed War Department of these plans. He has discussed them with me in rough outline and has had as you know, two discussions with Robertson and Bipartite Board, meeting at Berlin, which I attended and details of which [Page 20] were reported to you in mytel 4 of January 3.2 It is my understanding that this procedure was authorized by the Secretary and Mr. Bevin at the meeting at Mr. Douglas’ house immediately before our departure from London (see my letter December 20 to Hickerson enclosing memo that conversation).3
Results of Frankfurt meeting are now being reduced to written form for the first time and text will only be available in several days. As soon as they are ready, I shall transmit them to the Department.
The French, of course, have manifested active interest in the meeting and I have just talked with my French colleague after returning to Berlin and have promised him that as soon as texts are available in writing he will be provided with copies. He understands that thus far negotiation has been of oral character. I shall fill him in informally.
It should also be said in favor of Germans that they took the rapid fire treatment to which they were subjected at Frankfurt manfully. They were handed an extremely large package and their response was good. You can well understand delicate position they are in vis-à-vis their own population and particularly their political opponents. We will transmit the reaction of Soviet-dominated German press which will be, I believe, fairly rabid.
- Supra.↩
- Ante.↩
- For the memorandum of conversation by Murphy under reference here, see Foreign Relations, 1947, vol. ii, p. 827; regarding the Murphy letter referred to here, see ibid., p. 827, footnote 31.↩