§ 95. Mr. Cocksasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether discussions have yet been started for associating Holland and Belgium with the occupation of Germany and the Commission for the Control of Traffic on the Rhine.
Mr. McNeilThe answer to both parts of the Question is in the affirmative. The European Advisory Committee decided in September. 1944, that each of the Powers occupying Germany might include amongst the forces assigned to occupation duties under the command of its Commander-in-Chief auxiliary contingents from the forces of any other Allied Power which had participated in military operations against Germany, and invitations were extended shortly afterwards to the Netherlands and Belgian Governments, among others, to provide troops to help in the garrisoning of the British zone. The Belgian Government accepted the invitation and there is now one division of Belgian troops in the British zone. I understand that Netherlands commitments in the Far East have until recently made it difficult for the Netherlands Government to offer a contingent for use in Germany, but when the Netherlands Prime Minister paid a visit to this country last month he said that the Netherlands Government were anxious to contribute a certain number of troops. His Majesty's Government welcomed this offer and are now examining its practical aspects.
Questions relating to traffic on the Rhine have so far been handled by an Interim Rhine Working Committee. This Committee, which was established at Duisburg in September, 1945, is composed of technical representatives from the British and United States zones 01 occupation and from France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland. His Majesty's Government and the French and United States Governments recently agreed to invite the Swiss, Belgian and Netherlands Governments to join in transforming this Committee into a Temporary Committee for Rhine Traffic, to be composed of accredited representatives of the Governments of Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Switzerland, and of the French, British and United States zones of occupation.