740.00119 Control (Germany)/12–745: Telegram
The United States Political Adviser for Germany (Murphy) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 8—9:10 p.m.]
1197. At yesterday’s Coordinating Committee meeting Russian member80 sustained the objection of Russian member in Political Directorate [Page 1013] that US proposal for the opening of consular offices throughout Germany was premature (see my 1108 of November 27, 4 p.m.81). He claimed that consular offices were part of “diplomatic machinery” and asked if such offices were opened by the four powers why similar privileges should not be given other Allied nations. There was no German Govt, he said, Germany was in the first stages of occupation, and consular offices might be interpreted as an establishment of diplomatic relations, which the Control Council had no authority to decide.
General Clay, supported by the British member82 pointed out that consular establishment had existed in Italy alongside of Military Govt, stated that Consuls were not diplomatic officers in normal sense of the term but were intended primarily to help the citizens of their countries. He felt the time had come for this kind of representation and he said that pending quadripartite action he was prepared to exchange consular representatives with any of the four control powers.
Russian member claimed that an analogy could not be drawn with Italy which had abandoned the war and fought on the side of the Allies. He insisted that it was for the govts, rather than the Control Council, to decide whether there should be consular representation and he mentioned that if his colleagues intended to take unilateral action, as suggested by US member, they did so on their own initiative.
In view of the importance of the question, US member, who was chairman, requested Secretariat to place the proposal on the Control Council’s agenda for its next meeting83 and suggested that the members of the Political Directorate inform their Govts that no agreement had been reached in the Coordinating Committee but that the United States, Britain and French are ready to exchange Consuls.
Sent to Dept as 1197, rptd to Moscow as 96.
- Army General Vassily Danilovich Sokolovsky.↩
- Not printed. This telegram reported discussions at the 14th meeting of the Political Directorate, November 27. A paper presented by the U.S. member recommending the establishment of consular offices throughout Germany was discussed. While the members representing Great Britain and France supported the proposal, the Soviet member was opposed. He stated that the opening of Consulates in Germany was premature, the occupying powers still had many purely military questions to decide, and the opening of Consulates went beyond the agreements on which the occupying powers operated. Failing to reach agreement, the members agreed to refer the matter to the Coordinating Committee. (740.00119 Control, Germany)/11–2745)↩
- Lt. Gen. Sir Brian H. Robertson.↩
- The proposal was discussed at the 15th meeting of the Control Council, December 21. For an account of these discussions, see telegram 1316, December 21, from Berlin, p. 859.↩