740.00119 Control (Germany)/3–2447: Telegram

The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Smith) to the Acting Secretary of State

secret

983. Reported impending merger of German Socialist Unity Party (SED) of Berlin and Soviet zone with Communist Party (KPD) in western zones (Berlin’s 644, March 15, to Dept, repeated Moscow 166, Paris 105, London 155 [115]33) appears from here to be significant [Page 860] step in Soviet program for extending its political influence into western zones. Not to take active measures to resist this tactic would seem to me failure in respect to our responsibility to protect democratic and progressive elements of US zone (mytel 33, January 7, repeated Berlin 4, Paris 2, London for Delsec 3, paragraph 834).

Although it is not possible for Embassy Moscow to evaluate technical considerations raised in Deptel 631, March 21, to Berlin (repeated Moscow 602 [620]35) I wish to express concurrence in Berlin’s general view that to permit this development without exacting substantial concrete reciprocal concessions from Russians would seem to be playing right into their hands. At same time I should add I fail to understand why SED leaders Grotewohl and Pieck are permitted to operate in US zone, and why democratic treatment of US zone requires opening the door to the very forces hostile to that democracy it is our avowed purpose to nourish and support. Granted that political leaders from the west have been admitted to the Soviet zone, the fact remains that we are bound to lose on such exchanges until we are in position to insure the same freedom for the emissaries of democracy from the west as we have been according the missionaries of Communism from the east. It would be naive to assume that such a condition exists now.

Sent Dept as 983, repeated Berlin 154, London 103. Dept pass to Paris as 83.

Smith
  1. Ante, p. 856.
  2. Ante, p. 139.
  3. Supra.