Matthews File: Lot 5, Cabinet 110
The Deputy Director of the Office of European
Affairs (Matthews) to the Assistant
Secretary of War (McCloy)
Washington, November 15,
1944.
Dear Jack: There is enclosed herewith a copy
of an informal memorandum prepared by Mr. Riddleberger on the meeting of
November 6, 1944, in which you and General Hilldring, Mr. Dunn, Mr.
Matthews, Mr. Riddleberger, Mr. Labouisse79 and Ambassador Winant
participated. If you have any comments please let me have them;
otherwise we shall be guided by this memorandum. Of course the question
in paragraph No. 3 has now happily been solved.
Sincerely yours,
[Enclosure]
Memorandum of a Meeting Between War and State
Department Officials Regarding the European Advisory
Commission
On November 6, 1944, a meeting was held in Mr. McCloy’s office in
which the following participated: Mr. McCloy and General Hilldring
for the War Department; Mr. Dunn, Mr. Matthews, Mr. Riddleberger and
Mr. Labouisse for the State Department, and Ambassador Winant who
had recently returned from London. The meeting was convoked to
consider the War Department memorandum of November 1, 1944,
respecting the British draft directives for Germany and questions
related thereto.
After a comprehensive discussion of the memorandum of November 1,
1944, the State Department’s attitude thereto, and consideration of
developments in the European Advisory Commission as described by
Ambassador Winant, it was generally agreed to proceed as follows:
- 1.
- No more directives will be presented to the Joint Chiefs
of Staff for their approval at this time. Upon his return to
London, Ambassador Winant will enter into negotiations in
the EAC on the directives which have been proposed. However,
Ambassador Winant will not attempt to obtain complete
governmental approval by each of the three powers to each
and every part of proposed directives. He
[Page 408]
will attempt to get the EAC to
recommend for formal governmental approval only such
directives or parts of them as may be important questions of
principle on which it is believed desirable to have the
formal agreement of the three Governments. The details of
the directives can then be worked out at an operational
level, presumably by the nucleus group in which the Soviet
Government has now agreed to participate. It was agreed that
this procedure would make for operating efficiency and would
not bind the three Governments formally to directives which
might have to be subsequently modified in the light of such
conditions as might be found in Germany after
occupation.
- 2.
- From information that has been received from the British
and Soviet Governments, the three Governments should be
prepared to discuss the following matters in the EAC in the
near future:
- (a)
- Control machinery for Germany (a recommendation by
the EAC is expected at any time).80
- (b)
- Proclamations and general orders (American views
have been forwarded to London).81
- (c)
- United Nations prisoners of war and interned or
other citizens of the United Nations held in Germany
(American views have been forwarded to
London).
- (d)
- Disarmament of German armed forces and
demilitarization of Germany (American views have
been forwarded to London in several directives
approved by State, War, Navy and Joint Chiefs of
Staff).
- (e)
- Dissolution of Nazi party and abolition of Hitler
regime. (American views are contained in several
directives forwarded to London.)
- (f)
- War criminals.
- (g)
- Control of German economy. (State Department is
preparing an additional memorandum containing its
views. The President has approved82 in principle the economic
objectives set forth in the Secretary’s memorandum
of September 29, 1944 to the President.)
- (h)
- Occupation of Austria.
- 3.
- General Hilldring will give his personal attention to the
question of the British and American zones of occupation in
order that the European Advisory Commission can complete the
protocol. The protocol can be formally recommended to the
three Governments as soon as the delineation of the American
and British zones, as agreed upon at the Quebec Conference,
can be inserted. It is understood that this is now awaiting
action by the Combined Chiefs of Staff.
