Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, The Conference of Berlin (The Potsdam Conference), 1945, Volume I

840.6362/7–345

No. 432
The Department of State to the British Embassy

Aide-Mémoire

The Department of State has considered the Aide-Mémoire presented by the British Embassy (Ref: G 269/–/45)¹ with regard to the messages recently exchanged between the President and the Prime Minister² regarding the steps to be taken in Germany concerning coal production.

The Department of State proposes to take the following steps to meet the points raised in the Aide-Mémoire:

1. The Department of State has revised the suggested Directive in order to (a) instruct each Commander-in-Chief to seek agreement in the Control Council on a coal program for Germany as a whole[;] (b) provide for concerted action by the Zone Commanders on the measures required to meet the coal export target for Western Germany, and to carry out any agreed program which may be reached in the Control Council[;] (c) take into account certain other suggestions made by the British Government.

It will be noted that paragraph 2 has been revised to include the suggested changes put forward by the British Government, and that all exports of coal are subordinated to the civil and military requirements necessary to insure the safety, security, health, maintenance, and operation of the occupying forces, and speedy redeployment of the Allied forces from Germany. This Government does not consider it desirable, however, to make specific provision for the allocation of sufficient coal to prevent the development of disease and unrest in Germany. It is felt, rather, that the original wording of paragraph 7 should be retained to emphasize the importance attached to the proposed export program. The United States Government is aware that maximum exports of German coal can only be achieved by causing great privation and hardship to the German people. This should be clearly understood by the Zone Commanders.

2. The President will inform Marshal Stalin of the directive which the Governments of the United Kingdom, France and the United States are issuing to their Commanders-in-Chief in Germany in view of the acute shortage of coal and urge the Soviet Government to instruct its Commander-in-Chief to concert with the other Commanders-in-Chief in the Control Council with a view to the formulation of a coal production and export program for Germany as a whole and the adoption of measures required to carry out this program. The President will also point out to Marshal Stalin that accounts will be kept of all coal exported from Germany and that all such exports would be without prejudice to agreed decisions on reparation.

The United States Government has received from General de Gaulle a message³ expressing complete concurrence with the original proposed directive. It has informed General de Gaulle that the Prime Minister has agreed in principle subject to certain points which are now being considered by the two Governments and that it will inform him of the result.

If the British Government concurs with the revised directive enclosed with this Aide-Mémoire,⁴ the United States Government will communicate once more with the French Government. It is understood that the three Governments will promptly issue the revised directive after general agreement is obtained.

W L C[layton]

Washington , July 11, 1945.

1. Document No. 425.
2. See documents Nos. 420 and 423.
3. See document No. 420, footnote 2.
4. The enclosure is headed “Proposed Directive to the American Commander-in-Chief in Europe”. Apart from the heading, it is identical with the attachment to document No. 1046, printed in vol. ii .