Office of the Historian

856.79664/6–848: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Embassy in the Netherlands

secret
Washington, June 10, 1948—5 p. m.

234. While Dept continues believe Hung overflights Brit and US occupation zones should be denied (Deptel 580 to Budapest, June 81) it is of course difficult, if not impossible, find fault with Dutch provisional arrangement with Hungs, reported Embtel 346, June 8,1 in view Deptel 1577 to Paris, May 7, rptd The Hague as 175.2 Pending completion present high-level review US aviation policy vis-à-vis Soviet and satellites, Dept believes, therefore, no further representations to Dutch should be made. Meanwhile, it is obvious key to control of satellite flights to Western Europe (at least non-circuitous) is zonal blockade which Dept hopes Brit will, in coordination with US, keep intact at least until policy decisions, expected to be finalized in very near future, are reached.3

Dept would be interested know dates of Hung flights to Amsterdam already completed, if any, and exact route flown.

Lon requested inform Brit of foregoing.

Sent The Hague 234, rptd London 2172, Budapest 589, Geneva for US Del ICAO, Attn: Barringer4 and Civil Air Attachés 718, and Berlin 1018.

Marshall
  1. Not printed.↩
  2. Not printed.↩
  3. Ante, p. 445.↩
  4. Telegram 2223, June 14, to London, not printed, instructed the Embassy in London to ask the British to deny overflight rights of its zone of occupation in Germany to Yugoslavia which had requested such rights for weekly flights between Belgrade and Amsterdam (856.79660h/6–1448).↩
  5. J. Paul Barringer, Deputy Director, Office of Transportation and Communications, Department of State, served as Vice Chairman of the United States Delegation to the Second Annual Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization, held in Geneva, June 1–22, 1948.↩