Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1945, General: Political and Economic Matters, Volume II

740.00119 Control (Germany)/10–1045: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Czechoslovakia (Steinhardt)

Washington, October 19, 1945—4 p.m.

317. With reference to questions raised in urtel 417 Oct 3 Dept transmits following comments for your guidance in discussing population transfers with Zecho Govt:

US recognizes importance Zecho Govt attaches to transfer of German population and is cognizant of long background of this problem. In Potsdam Agreement paragraph 13 the three powers recognized in principle that transfers would have to be made, but agreed that transfers should take place under international control in order to prevent chaos and undue suffering which would arise through mass expulsions on a unilateral basis. This decision was consistent with earlier replies by US to Zecho notes on German population question. On agreeing to international action, the three powers did not single out Zecho for unique treatment but linked Zecho with Poland and Hungary as most important area involving principle of international control and direction of population movements. Procedure was established in these three states as a matter of urgency prior to any general agreement on population movements for Europe as a whole.

Information has already been transmitted to you in Berlin’s 46 Oct 10⁵⁰ that Zecho delegation chosen from proposed military mission to be accredited to Allied Control authorities will be received to present Zecho plan for orderly transfer. Dept wishes to make clear that throughout negotiations in Control Council US representative acted consistently on instructions that Zecho delegation should be received and plan studied before any decision was reached on postponement of population transfer. An examination of proceedings will show that activities of US representative can not be construed as dilatory tactics. You may wish to make it clear to Zecho Govt that US, having recognized principle of population transfer at Potsdam, has always been prepared to receive and discuss Zecho plan in Control Council but that assent of other three powers was necessary. Record of proceedings in Control Council does not show that other three powers, including Soviets, shared US position on this point.

It should be made clear that transfer of Germans from Zecho does not have to be made exclusively into US zone in Germany. US adheres to principle that Reich Germans in Zecho should be expelled to zone in which they previously resided. As for other Germans expelled by Zecho, Potsdam Agreement explicitly states that Control Council should examine question of equitable distribution among several zones of occupation. US can not assume unilateral responsibility for reception and care of Germans transferred from Zecho to US zone. Likewise, Dept is aware of fact that frontier area between Zecho and Germany is also occupied by Soviet troops as well as US troops. Reported action of Soviets (urtel 448 Oct 10⁵¹) in admitting six thousand Germans daily is not consistent with Soviet position in Control Council.

Dept agrees that immediate expulsion of Reich Germans from Zecho is four power responsibility and that Zecho should not be called on to support them during coming winter. As result of decision on reception of Zecho delegation, US is sending instructions to USPolAd to urge that Control Council agree to immediate transfer of Reich Germans who fled into Zecho in closing days of war (urtel 368 Sep 20). With regard to Sudeten population as denned by Presidential decree of Aug 2,⁵² Dept insists that international action as defined in Potsdam Agreement is desirable and that four power decision in Control Council is necessary before action can be taken. You are therefore urged to correct impression that US is blocking the orderly repeat orderly expulsion of Germans.

Dept wishes to point out for your background information that many complaints have been received from US military personnel stationed in Zecho concerning treatment of Germans in that country. Although long and complicated background of German problem may not be known to US military personnel, their attitude is paralleled by indications of a growing public feeling in this country that Zecho state is not fulfilling response to Potsdam note and is employing methods which will ultimately affect excellent position which Zecho now has in western opinion.

We should also point out that Potsdam Agreement only recognized that the transfer of German populations or elements thereof would have to be undertaken. So far as we were concerned we wished to slow down indiscriminate and disorderly expulsions and avoid unnecessary hardships on the transferees and unnecessary burdens on the zones to which transfers were to be made. We recognized that certain transfers were unavoidable, but we did not intend at Potsdam to encourage or commit ourselves to transfers in cases where other means of adjustment were practicable.

Byrnes

50. See last paragraph of telegram 739, October 10, 7 p.m., from Berlin, p. 1288.
51. Not printed; it reported that a Praha newspaper had published a Reuters news despatch from Berlin to the effect that Marshal Zhukov had agreed to the expulsion of 6,000 Germans daily from Czechoslovakia into the Soviet zone of occupation in Germany (740.00119 Control (Germany)/10–1045).
52. See footnote 97, p. 1276.