VOLKSRAT AND DWK PLANS FOR DISTRIBUTION OF FUNCTIONS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R002300190008-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 20, 1999
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: November 1, 1948
• Content Type: REPORT

FORM NO. 51-4A
SEPT. 1248
Approved For Release 199 : CIA-RDP82-00457R0023001
CENTRAL IN L GENCE AGENCY REPORT NO.
INFORMATI N REPORT CD NO.
COUNTRY Germany (Russian Zone)
SUBJECT Volksrat and DWK Plans for
Distribution of Functions
PLACE
ACQUIRED 25X1A6a
DATE OF IN
25X1X6
DATE DISTR. 31 Tan. 1949
NO. OF PAGES 2
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
1. The Secretariat of the People's Council.began in November to form
a "Oeace Bureau" under the Committee on Peace Questions, with the
objective of preparing the way for the diplomatic representation
of Germany abroad. This bureau is supposed to expand .gradually into
a full-fledged diplomatic corps, and former members of the Gern
Foreign Office are being recruited to staff it under the direction
of such men as Dr.. Karl Polack, Dr. Leo ?uckermann, and Pr.Karl-
FHein7 Gerstner. The strictly commercial and consular functions
of a foreign service will not be handled by. the ?eace. Bureau-, but
brill be taken care of by branches of the "German" Economic Com-
mission (DVIK). The latter will, in the future, confine itself
more and more to executive functions, while the "People's Congress"
and its subsidiaries are to develop into a sort of legislature.
Source states thtjt the growing-importance, os the Volkskonr;ress
movement is indicated by the publicity given to the German dele-
gation to Moscow early in November: they were sent as re-
presentatives of the political parties and other organizations,
but while they were in lJoscow their designation vas changed and
(somewhat to their own surprise) they were described as represen-
tatives of the V~lksrat instead; it was under this appellation
that they were welcomed upon their return tt Berlin.
25X1A6a Comment: Two other sources have emphasised this, change in
es !nation and the surprise it occasioned among the delegates.)
2. In view of the proposed distribution of functions.d.escribed above,
it is clear that the expansion of the D'vWK (brought about by Si'JA
Prder 4'183) does not mean that the D'WWK will compete with the
Volksrat. Source explains that tPe DV 4K is conceived to be the
.political representative of the astern Zone, while the Volksrat
functions for all of Germany., The liaison between the two bodies
trill, however, continue to be very close, and Heinrich Rau,
President of the DVK, will _report periodically to the Volksrat
and execute its instructions. It is also to be noted that many
individuals are members of both bodies. The new plenum of the
D K is expected to eliminate excessive bureaucracy in the :uWK and
to act"as swatch-doe". making certain that the instructions of
STATE iT
ARMY AIR FBI
 Approved For Release 1999/09/09 : CIA-RDP82-00457R002300190008-2
CENTRAL INTEBLIGENCE AGENOY
25X1A2g
Important organizational changed affecting e o sra~.were
considered at a conference on 27 JNTo~Tember. These changes would
envision an inner and an expanded secretariat, in both of which
the management of affairs would remain in the hands of Bernhard
utius and Friedrich Otto.
4. Some time ago the SMA asked the SED to prepare a summary `of '
relevant portions of the Italian peace treaty, presumably asa
m.odel for a treaty with Germany. However, the :Ell was.not
anxious to seem responsible for any of the individual treaty
clauses which may well be unpopular in Germany, and, after
meeting the request only with evasions, finally produced a pro-
clamation in thn most general terms, which was published on
25 November. ("Schliesst Frieden mit Deutschland;i1, alleged
to have been written by Dr. Leo 7uckermann.)
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laNs. T ED TO: T S
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