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J. 333305-MONO-State
Galley 176
UNCORRECTED GALLEY PROOF
Matthews Files
The Secretary of State to the President 1
SECRET
[WASHINGTON, September 29, 1944] 1
1
The copy indicates that the memorandum was drafted on September 29, 1944.
It was presented to the President on October 1, 1944. (See post, p. -.)
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
The Cabinet Committee has not been able to agree upon a state-
ment of American policy for the post-war treatment of Germany.
The memorandum presented by the Secretary of the Treasury is
decidedly at variance with the views developed in the State Depart-
ment. In the meantime, I have received your memorandum of
September 15,2 with the statements of views respecting the Ruhr, Saar,
2 Not printed.
etc., and the conversion of Germany into an agricultural and pastoral
country, which was formulated at Quebec. This memorandum seems
to reflect largely the opinions of the Secretary of the Treasury in the
treatment to be accorded Germany. I feel that I should therefore
submit to you the line of thought that has been developing in the
State Department on this matter.
1. Status of Negotiations With the British and Russians
The instrument of unconditional surrender of Germany has been
recommended by the European Advisory Commission and has been
formally approved by this Government. It is anticipated that
British and Russian approval will be forthcoming. The question
of
the American and British zones of occupation was, according to your
memorandum, worked out at Quebec and there will presumably be no
more difficulty over this matter. In the meantime, the European
Advisory Commission is going ahead on plans for a tripartite control
machinery and military government for Germany during the occupa-
tion period. All three governments have submitted proposals which
are similar in their general outline. The American proposal con-
templates a Supreme Authority consisting of the three Commanding
Generals of the U.S., the U.K. and the U.S.S.R., which would
coordinate Allied control of Germany and supervise such centralized
governmental functions and economic activities as the three powers
deem essential. A Control Council, composed of representatives in
equal numbers from each of the three Allied Governments, would
be
established by the Supreme Allied Authority and will coordinate the
administration of military government throughout Germany, includ-
ing detailed planning for the execution of directives received from the
three governments. We expect to have a recommended plan on this
from the European Advisory Commission in the near future.
2. Important Problems For Which High Policy Decisions Must Be
Worked Out by the Three Governments
The fundamental question to be decided is what kind of a Germany
we want and what policy should be put into effect during occupation
to attain our objectives. The most important of these problems are
set forth below with an explanation of the State Department's views.
It should be emphasized, however, that these objectives will have to
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"ocrText": "J. 333305-MONO-State\nGalley 176\nUNCORRECTED GALLEY PROOF\nMatthews Files\nThe Secretary of State to the President 1\nSECRET\n[WASHINGTON, September 29, 1944] 1\n1\nThe copy indicates that the memorandum was drafted on September 29, 1944.\nIt was presented to the President on October 1, 1944. (See post, p. -.)\nMEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT\nThe Cabinet Committee has not been able to agree upon a state-\nment of American policy for the post-war treatment of Germany.\nThe memorandum presented by the Secretary of the Treasury is\ndecidedly at variance with the views developed in the State Depart-\nment. In the meantime, I have received your memorandum of\nSeptember 15,2 with the statements of views respecting the Ruhr, Saar,\n2 Not printed.\netc., and the conversion of Germany into an agricultural and pastoral\ncountry, which was formulated at Quebec. This memorandum seems\nto reflect largely the opinions of the Secretary of the Treasury in the\ntreatment to be accorded Germany. I feel that I should therefore\nsubmit to you the line of thought that has been developing in the\nState Department on this matter.\n1. Status of Negotiations With the British and Russians\nThe instrument of unconditional surrender of Germany has been\nrecommended by the European Advisory Commission and has been\nformally approved by this Government. It is anticipated that\nBritish and Russian approval will be forthcoming. The question\nof\nthe American and British zones of occupation was, according to your\nmemorandum, worked out at Quebec and there will presumably be no\nmore difficulty over this matter. In the meantime, the European\nAdvisory Commission is going ahead on plans for a tripartite control\nmachinery and military government for Germany during the occupa-\ntion period. All three governments have submitted proposals which\nare similar in their general outline. The American proposal con-\ntemplates a Supreme Authority consisting of the three Commanding\nGenerals of the U.S., the U.K. and the U.S.S.R., which would\ncoordinate Allied control of Germany and supervise such centralized\ngovernmental functions and economic activities as the three powers\ndeem essential. A Control Council, composed of representatives in\nequal numbers from each of the three Allied Governments, would\nbe\nestablished by the Supreme Allied Authority and will coordinate the\nadministration of military government throughout Germany, includ-\ning detailed planning for the execution of directives received from the\nthree governments. We expect to have a recommended plan on this\nfrom the European Advisory Commission in the near future.\n2. Important Problems For Which High Policy Decisions Must Be\nWorked Out by the Three Governments\nThe fundamental question to be decided is what kind of a Germany\nwe want and what policy should be put into effect during occupation\nto attain our objectives. The most important of these problems are\nset forth below with an explanation of the State Department's views.\nIt should be emphasized, however, that these objectives will have to"
}