Office of the Historian

740.00119 EAC/126

Memorandum by the Acting Secretary of State to President Roosevelt

[Washington,] February 19, 1944.

1. The British proposal presented to the European Advisory Commission on January 15 envisages three occupation zones in which the main Soviet forces would occupy eastern Germany, the main British forces northwestern Germany, and the main American forces southern Germany. The zones are delineated on the map accompanying the British document attached hereto.2a

2. The Soviet proposal3 presented to the European Advisory Commission on February 16 likewise envisages three zones, which Ambassador Winant states appear to be the same as those set forth in the British proposal. The text of the Soviet document with its geographical description of the zones is now en route to the United States by [Page 180] air pouch. It specifies joint occupation for Austria and the Berlin district.

3. No American proposal for zones of occupation has been made to date. A report on the occupation machinery for Germany is now awaiting action by the Joint Chiefs of Staff before being transmitted to Ambassador Winant for presentation to the European Advisory Commission. It is based on the premise of zonal occupation of Germany, but does not make any proposals respecting the geographical demarcation of the zones or the distribution of the occupying forces.

You will recall in a recent discussion relative to the importance of the State Department having available for its guidance a record of the Teheran discussions your agreement that on Harry’s4 return he would edit a set of the minutes which would be presented to Mr. Hull. Owing to Harry’s absence from Washington this has not yet been possible, so as a result we are not sure as to what understanding will have to be reached on this subject until we know what your thinking on the subject has been. Therefore we have been unable to give instructions to Ambassador Winant relative to the American position.

Perhaps you would care to give me a note outlining your views in order that we may send Ambassador Winant instructions at an early date.

E. R. Stettinius, Jr.
  1. See document EAC (44) 2, p. 139, and map facing p. 152.↩
  2. Supra. ↩
  3. Harry Hopkins, Special Assistant to President Roosevelt.↩