AUSTRALIAN PERSONNEL IN CONTROL COMMISSIONS FOR GERMANY AND
AUSTRIA

1. In telegrams 131A, 133A and 135A [1], received early in
October, the Commonwealth Accredited Representative, London,
reported that the United Kingdom authorities had under active
consideration the possibility of including a proportion of
personnel from Australia and other Dominions in the British
element of the proposed control machinery for Germany and Austria.

These telegrams (copies of which are attached hereto) give the
main categories of staff required, including men with
qualifications in law, accountancy, finance, banking, insurance,
education, public health, industrial relations, industrial
welfare, postal, radio and telephone services, general
administration and European languages. There are about 390
positions available besides 2,500 interpreters.

2. These positions are in the divisions of the Control Commissions
dealing with economics, industry, manpower, transportation,
finance, internal affairs and political questions. Both civilian
and military personnel can be recruited. These requirements are
entirely separate from requirements for military personnel in the
service divisions of the Control Commissions.

3. In view of decisions by War Cabinet in Minute No. 2947 of 9th
July, 1943, Minute No. 3102 of 19th October, 1943, and Minute No.

3682 of 22nd July, 1944, to the effect that proposals for the
attachment of Australian personnel to the service divisions of the
Control Commissions in Europe should be submitted to War Cabinet,
the matter is referred for consideration. By decision in Minute
3682, War Cabinet confirmed the despatch of two A.M.F. officers
who had already been sent abroad to be attached to the Military
Section of the Control Commissions for Germany.

4. The chief arguments in favour of the nominations of Australians
to the staff of Armistice Control Commissions Europe are:-

(a) in keeping with our claim to be heard in international
affairs, we should accept a share of international
responsibilities;

(b) the value of the experience to the Australian officers who
participate.

5. The strength of the first argument is reduced in the present
case because any Australians who take part will not serve as
representatives of Australia but as elements in a British team,
and, notwithstanding the expression of contrary views by the
Dominions, the conclusion of armistices in Europe and the control
of European armistice machinery remains mainly in the hands of the
United States, U.S.S.R., and the United Kingdom Governments.

6. The chief arguments against the nomination of Australians to
the Armistice Control Commissions in Europe are:-

(a) Australian manpower difficulties and particularly the demands
for the Australian war effort against Japan;

(b) the prospective need for qualified men for civil affairs and
armistice control in the Far East;

(c) the difficulty of arranging the transfer of selected civilians
or military personnel from Australia to Europe.

7. Furthermore, in view of the decision of Cabinet, endorsing the
resolutions of the recent Wellington Conference, to take the
strongest possible action to ensure Australia's right of
participation in the conclusion of armistices and in armistice
control arrangements in the Far East [2], it is suggested that
care should be taken that the nomination of Australians to the
European Control Commissions does not imply acceptance for the Far
East of a system of 'Big Three' control of armistice machinery and
exclusion of Dominions from direct representation.

8. Weighing these arguments, and having regard to the decision of
Cabinet regarding the military sections of the Control
Commissions, it is recommended-
The nomination of Australian civilians or military personnel to
the non-military sections of the Armistice control machinery
should be limited in number; so far as possible, nominees should
be drawn from personnel already in Europe; in considering any
nomination, priority should be given to the needs of the
Australian war effort and the prospective needs of civil affairs
and post-armistice control in the Far East; and nominations should
be made on the understanding that Australian personnel specially
required for Australian Governmental participation in civil
affairs and armistice control in the Far East shall be made
available for that purpose. 9. To implement this recommendation,
it is further recommended-The selection of Australian nominees to
the non-military sections of the Armistice Control Commissions in
Europe should be made by the Department of External Affairs in
consultation with other departments concerned. [3]

H. V. EVATT