740.00119 Control (Germany)/7–1247
The Political Adviser for Germany (Murphy) to the Secretary of State
No. 10442
Sir: I have the honor to inform the Department that Herr Jakob Kaiser, a leader of the CDU, called upon me and Mr. Heath and stated he was considerably disquieted over four recent developments:
- (1)
- The recrudescence of Soviet deportation of German technicians for work in the Soviet Union.
- (2)
- Increased pressure of the Soviet Military Administration on the CDU and the LDP to join with the SED in a “popular front” in the Russian Zone.
- (3)
- The rumors that, as a consequence of the Anglo-American bizonal fusion and now of the “Marshall Plan”, the western zones would completely separate from Soviet occupied Germany and that the western Allies would withdraw their representation from Berlin.
- (4)
- The increasingly critical attitude of the CDU of western Germany towards Kaiser’s efforts to maintain a modus vivendi with the Soviet Military Administration.
Inquiry was made of Kaiser whether he had a list of recent deportations of German technicians. He said he did not but would furnish one. He displayed a letter ordering an engineer in a Weimar factory to report to Chemnitz for a two-week period. It was remarked that this appeared to be only a temporary matter, but Kaiser insisted that it was a prelude to deportation.
Kaiser said that he was determined not to sacrifice what independence he had been able to maintain for the eastern CDU by putting it into a “popular front” under Communist (SED) domination. However, he was only able to wage a battle for party independence and existence because of the previous confidence of his local leaders that the western Allies would remain in Berlin. If the western powers were going to get out of Berlin, the fight was lost and the Bolshevization of the eastern zone of Germany, which was fairly advanced, would be speedily carried to completion. Kaiser left a memorandum presenting closely-reasoned arguments concerning the danger of a western withdrawal from Berlin. A summary is enclosed with this despatch.61
Kaiser was informed personally that United States officials were far from entertaining the belief that the United States would withdraw its representation from Berlin. The United States was here by virtue of a quadripartite agreement, and it would stand on that agreement. The purpose of the bizonal arrangements with the British Zone62 and of the “Marshall Plan”63 was not to separate Germany. Kaiser was informed that, on the contrary, they were necessary interim steps toward the goal of a unified, democratic Germany.
With respect to items (2) and (4) above, a point to be borne in mind is the tendency of the Berlin branches of the CDU and LDP to seek greater independence from the Soviet zonal organization of their parent parties. In the CDU the leader of this movement has been Herr [Page 876] Landsberg, who has worked closely with the SPD but who was replaced by Herr Schreiber in the elections of this spring when party discipline was invoked to insure the choice of a Berlin party chief more amenable to the interests of the zonal party as represented by Herr Kaiser. Although the tendency toward revolt within the CDU has been stilled, the feelings of the Berlin CDU doubtless played a role in the decision to support the SPD candidacy of Reuter for chief mayor of Berlin. However, in the LDP, which comprises a medley of talents ranging from the lowest in mediocrity to a commendable height in independence, the Berlin branch staged an open revolt against Dr. Kuelz at the recent Eisenach party conference and presented a united minority opposition against his re-election as party chief by 253 against 23 votes.
Respectfully yours,
- Neither the Kaiser memorandum nor the summary are printed.↩
- For documentation on American-British bi-zonal economic arrangements, see pp. 909 ff.↩
- For documentation on the European Recovery Plan (the Marshall Plan), see volume iii .↩