740.00119 Control (Germany)/12–1045: Telegram
The United States Political Adviser for Germany (Murphy) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 16—4:15 p.m.]
1277. French officer has hinted that his delegation on the Control Council has received new instruction which apparently would authorize it to agree to the establishment of German central agencies on the condition that the competence of such agencies would not extend to the Ruhr and Rhineland. This officer seemed upset by Secretary Byrnes’ last statement on the subject and was apprehensive that hard [Page 921] and fast decisions might be taken at Moscow before the new French position could be stated and developed.
According to this officer, it had never been fully explained to the French at Washington and elsewhere that the other three powers intended the Control Council should operate with strong authority and that the German agencies should be “weak” and simply serve administrative ends; the French had thought “the reverse was meant”. The French officer emphasized his Government’s continued attachment to the principle of decentralization88 and he referred to the anomalous situation existing in the French zone which failed to comprise the territory of a single integral German state (land).89
Repeated to Moscow as 104.
- Throughout the month of December the French Representatives in the Allied Control Authority for Germany adhered to their position of opposition to all attempts to create any type of centralized government agency for Germany. At the twenty-fourth meeting of the Coordinating Committee, December 4, the French member opposed the reestablishment of the German patent office and caused the question to be withdrawn; reported to the Department in telegram 1176, December 4, from Berlin (740.00119 Control (Germany)/12–445). At the twenty-eighth meeting of the Coordinating Committee, December 22, the French member expressed reservations when the question of the establishment of a central German department for communications and posts was considered; reported to the Department in telegram 1323, December 22, from Berlin, not printed. Telegram 1323 read in part: “In reply to General Clay’s question, British member said he was not empowered to discuss tripartite agreement for the setting up of a central postal agency. General Clay pointed out that in view of continued French opposition, there was no need of referring the matter to the Control Council and he requested that mention of the French position be made in the communiqué issued after the meeting.” (740.00119 Control (Germany)/12–2245)↩
- For documentation on the creation of the French zone of occupation in Germany, see Conference of Berlin (Potsdam), vol. i, pp. 597–606 and vol. ii, pp. 1001–1006.↩