-3 - Other matters that are before the European Advisory Commission I hope I will have an opportunity to discuss with you after your meeting at ARGONAUT. Harry Hopkins told me, while in London, that you were arranging for my meeting you before your return to the United States. Control machinery was worked out within the Commission with the understanding that in the first phase of occupation after unconditional surrender there would be military control in Germany. It was understood that the commanding general of each of the three forces would both serve as a member of the Control Council and be in command of his own zone with, of course, authority to delegate such powers as he saw fit. If the French, who have been admitted to the European Commission, are to sign the Unconditional Surrender Instrument and be admitted to the Control Council and be given a zone of occupation, you would then have quadripartite instead of tripartite participation. The British have conceded this; neither the Russian representative nor myself has as yet been authorized to state a position on the French propos The theory on which we have proceeded is that broad overall policies in matters affecting Germany as a whole would be arrived at by agreement between the participating Powers, either in the form of general orders or directives, and that the residue of powers would remain with the commanders in the zones. These general authorities affecting Geeany as a whole would be agreed between the Governments in broad terms, leaving all detailing to the Control Council. The necessity for governmental agreement is due to the fact that neither the Russians nor the British are willing to delegate political authority to generals in the field. You can do this because you are not only the Chief of State but also, under the Constitution, Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of the United States. Stalin might do so but does not choose to do so. An illustration %of this is the authority given by him to Vyshinsky in supervising the execution of the armistice terms in Rumania. This fact has also been made very clear to me by Gousev in the European Advisory Commission. |