862.101/11–3048: Telegram
The United States Political Adviser for Germany (Murphy) to the Secretary of State
plain
2852. Re mytel 2843, November 29.1 Following is text of reply of Clay and Robertson to Sokolovsky letter November 29 regarding Berlin elections. Koenig will send identic reply but in French. This reply will be released to press simultaneously in Frankfurt and Berlin at 2000 hours German time.
“I have received your communication of November 29, 1948 inviting my attention to certain actions taking place in Berlin preparatory to the election on December 5 of the Berlin City Assembly.
“It is my understanding that the competent authorities of the city of Berlin, acting in accordance with the Berlin provisional constitution which was approved by the four occupying powers in 1946, are proceeding with elections on December 5 which are called for after the expiration of the two-year terms of the members of the City Assembly. The Berlin authorities in due course had addressed to each of the four commandants advice regarding their purpose to hold elections [Page 1275] obedient to the constitution. The commandants of the United Kingdom, France and United States had of course no objection.
“I notice that in the fourth paragraph of your letter you suggest that separatist elements in the Berlin Magistrat with the support of certain occupation authorities have been striving to disorganize its operation as a single municipal organization. This suggestion is one which neither I nor any unbiased observer of the events of recent months can accept. The action of the Soviet authorities in permitting the disruption of the City Assembly by hooligan elements, their arbitrary dismissal of a number of duly elected city officials without the consent of the commandants of the three western sectors, and their abandonment of the Allied Kommandatura, together with innumerable other unilateral breaches of the quadripartite arrangements for Berlin, have demonstrated the intentions of the Soviet authorities to divide the city and to prevent the exercise of democratic rights and liberties in their own sector.
“Moreover, a report has reached me according to which dissident City Assembly, acting apparently with the connivance of the Soviet authorities have today proceeded to the illegal election of certain officers to the Magistrat, in direct contravention of the city constitution. If this report is confirmed, I should be grateful to be informed whether in fact the illegal action of these persons was taken with your approval.
“For my own part I should add that I continue to desire to see reestablished at Berlin a situation corresponding to the accords which were concluded among us and which would permit under quadripartite control the unrestricted application of the Berlin constitution which was approved by the four occupying powers.”
Sent Department as 2852, Department pass Moscow as 764, London 894, Paris 983.
- Not printed; it transmitted a letter of November 29 from Marshal Sokolovsky to Generals Clay, Robertson and Koenig regarding the situation in Berlin; for the text of Sokolovsky’s letter, see Ruhm von Oppen. Documents on Germany, pp. 346–347, Berlin Senate, Berlin, Quellen und Dokumente, pp. 1678–1679, or Germany 1947–1949, p. 168.↩