Foreign Relations of the United States, 1948, Germany and Austria, Volume II

740.00119 Control (Germany)/9–2248

The Acting Secretary of State to the Soviet Ambassador (Panyushkin)¹

top secret

The Acting Secretary of State presents his compliments to His Excellency the Ambassador of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and has the honor to transmit the following communication:²

(1) The Government of the United States, together with the Governments of France and the United Kingdom, has now reviewed the discussions which have taken place on the Berlin situation and which have culminated in the Soviet reply of September 18³ to the aide-mémoire of the three Governments of September 14, 1948.⁴

(2) The three Governments find that the Soviet unwillingness to accept previous agreements, to which reference is made in their aide-mémoire of September 14, is still preventing a settlement. The reply of the Soviet Government in its aide-mémoire of September 18 is unsatisfactory.

(3) The final position of the three Governments on the specific points at issue is as follows:

(a) They cannot accept the imposition of any restrictions on air traffic between Berlin and the Western zones.

(b) They insist that the Finance Commission must control the activities of the German Bank of Emission of the Soviet zone in so far as they relate to the financial arrangements for the introduction and continued use of the Soviet zone mark as the sole currency in the city of Berlin.

(c) They insist that trade between Berlin and the Western zones and other countries must be under quadripartite control, including the issuance of licenses.

(4) After more than six weeks of discussion, the Governments of the United States, France and the United Kingdom feel that the Soviet Government is now fully acquainted with the position of the three Governments, and that further discussions on the present basis would be useless.

(5) It is clear that the difficulties that have arisen in the attempts to arrive at practical arrangements which would restore normal conditions in Berlin derive not from technical matters but from a fundamental difference of views between the Governments of the United States, France and the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Government as to the rights and obligations of the occupying powers in Berlin, their right to have access by air, rail, water and road to Berlin and to participate in the administration of the affairs of the city of Berlin. The blockade imposed by the Soviet authorities together with other of their acts in Berlin are in violation of the rights of the three Western occupying powers.

(6) Accordingly the Government of the United States, in agreement with the Governments of France and the United Kingdom, asks the Soviet Government whether, in order to create conditions which would permit a continuance of discussions, it is now prepared to remove the blockade measures, thus restoring the right of the three Western occupying powers to free communications by rail, water, and road, and to specify the date on which this will be done.

(7) The Foreign Ministers of the three Governments will be meeting shortly in Paris, and they will be glad to have the reply of the Soviet Government as soon as possible.

Washington, September 22, 1948.

1. This note was sent to the Soviet Embassy on September 22 at 2 p. m.
2. The United Kingdom and French Governments sent identic communications to the Soviet Government.
3. See the Soviet aide-mémoire, September 18, p. 1162.
4. See telegram 1101, September 12, to Moscow, p. 1152, and footnote 3 thereto.