This chapter examines the formative years of the development of German-American relations in the garrison cities. In early 1947, U.S. authorities introduced a new policy that encouraged a friendly attitude toward and association with Germans. The European Command (EUCOM), stationed in Heidelberg since 1947, started to develop its own ideas of what German-American relations should look like. For EUCOM, the "morale, health and efficiency" of the occupation troops and their dependents were of paramount importance. EUCOM started a program to improve relations between the U.S. occupation troops and the German population. This effort was triggered by U.S. High Commissioner John J. McCloy's policy for re-orientation of the German population. The German-American Women's Club was particularly active in promoting contact between the groups and fostering friendships. The Little America issue led to the physical separation of self-contained American housing settlements from German residential areas meant for German-American relations.