Memorandum from Acting Secretary of State Joseph Grew to President Harry S. Truman, Current Foreign Developments

TOP SECRET DECLASSIFIED E.O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and 5(D) or (E) Dept. of State letter, Aug, 10, 1972 BYNLT-NC NARS Date 9-14-75 May 30, 1945 MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT Subject: Current Foreign Develonments EAC Considers US Proposal that Control Council Meet Immediately in Berlin. In the EAC meeting on May 29 Winant presented n draft recommendation setting forth the US proposal that the four Allied Commanders in Chief shall meet in Berlin not later than June 1 to sign and issue the declaration on the defeat of Germeny and the assumption of supreme authority respecting Germany and furthermore that the four Allied representatives shall constitute the Control Council in order to deal with matters affecting Germany S.S. a whole and in order to commence the establishment of control machinery as pro- vided by prior agreements. The UK and French delegates supported this recommendation but felt that it might be impossible for the Allied Commenders to convene in Berlin as soon n.s June 1. The Soviet delegate is troubled by the question of determining the date on which the agree- ments on zones of occupation and control machinery. are to become effective. In order to clarify this point, Winant believes that the Soviet delegate would accept the US proposal if it included specific provision that the agreement on control machinery in Germany come into force upon the signature of the declaration of defeat of Germany. Our proposal should likewise provide that the protocol of agreement on zones of occupation in Germany and the administration of "greater THEMEN ARCHIVES? A