862.00/10–2049: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the United States High Commissioner for Germany (McCloy), at Frankfurt
2253.1 Fr Amb yesterday called on Sec in order to emphasize Fr point of view concerning proposal to make Berlin twelfth Land.2 He left Aide-Mémoire3 whose contents may be summarized as follows:
Sov Govt has avoided formal inclusion Berlin as new state in East Ger Republic. Furthermore Adenauer’s long interview with High Commissioners Oct 144 revealed that Pres, Chancellor, and Cabinet do not wish Berlin’s polit attachment to Western Ger, although certain sentiment in favor this inclusion has shown itself in Parliament. Adenauer does not wish Bundestag to pronounce itself on this matter since this wld create risks for the equilibrium of polit parties as well as internatl risks. He needs the support of HICOM however to maintain his position vis-à-vis Parliament.
Adenauer contends that Fr Govt believes HICOM shld not adopt attitude contrary to that of the responsible Chancellor who moreover desires the maintenance of quadripartite accords relative to Berlin. Fr Govt realizes that new situation created at Berlin necessitates reaction to the unilateral action of Sovs. Such action will only be efficacious if taken before Ger Parliament takes up problem.
Fr Aide-Mémoire proposes that HICOM take four steps. (1) It shld authorize Fed Govt to establish mission exclusively econ in character in west sectors Berlin. (2) It shld reaffirm solicitude of three govts for Berlin population and proclaim their intention to intensify policy of assistance to city. (3) It shld declare that it maintains the suspension of Art 23 of the Bonn Constitution in interest of Berliners themselves and to avoid an aggravation of situation in western sectors. (4) It shld declare itself favorable to approval of Berlin constitution of 1948 whose preamble expressed Berlin’s desire “to remain the capital of a new unified Ger”, but such approval shld suspend that part of Art 1 of the constitution which speaks of Berlin as part of Ger Republic and extends to Berlin the validity of Republic’s constitution and laws.
Fr Govt emphasizes urgency of taking these actions in order to forestall Parliamentary vote favoring Berlin’s attachment to West Ger. If such vote shld occur HICOM wld have to take position opposed which wld have serious effects. End summary of Fr Aide-Mémoire.
Meanwhile we have studied your 3218 of Oct 175 which confirms Fr statements regarding Adenauer’s attitudes. We are struck by fact [Page 422] that Fr Govt and Adenauer reciprocally motivate their positions on each other’s reluctance to move. It is quite clear that Fr desire HICOM action along lines of four points above in order to forestall action by Bundestag. We fear that such action by HICOM wld be misused by Adenauer as convenient excuse for saying “after all I can do nothing because HICOM is unanimously opposed to making Berlin twelfth Land.”
However Dept feels that even if it shld be concluded that Berlin has been included de facto in Eastern Republic, it wld probably be unwise to press issue positively against Adenauer’s views for moment unless internatl developments shld make it imperative. On other hand, Dept is not disposed to take action which wld forestall free expression of opinion in Bundestag. It may be doubted whether Adenauer represents preponderance West Ger opinion in this matter. Art 23 is after all part of Constitution, duly adopted and ratified, and not lightly to be suspended for any length of time for internal polit reasons. Dept of course continues to believe there is urgent need of actions calculated to counterbalance Sov action making Berlin Eastern capital and to bolster Berlin morale and wld therefore immediately be prepared to agree to points (1), (2), and (4) of Fr proposal except that no reservation shld be made concerning Art 1 of Berlin Constitution.
Weighing all these factors Dept wld not favor for present any reiteration of suspension of Art 23 of Bonn Constitution but wld prefer to await further developments clarifying East Berlin’s status and West Ger’s attitude. Your comments on foregoing wld be appreciated.
Question is frequently raised here and is mentioned in Fr Aide-Mémoire as to effect of Berlin’s inclusion on position coalition govt. We note from Berlin’s 1448 Oct 186 that gen opinion is SPD in Berlin wld lose some of present majority if new elections were held. We wld appreciate closest estimate you can make as to effect on coalition strength in Bundestag of elections for 23 Berlin reps.
- Repeated to London as 3784, Paris as 4027; and Moscow as 774.↩
- The meeting under reference here, attended by Bonnet, Byroade, Battle, and Acheson, took place at 3:00 p. m. October 17 in Acheson’s office. A memorandum of the conversation, prepared by Byroade, is in file 862.00/10–1749.↩
- Not printed; the French text of the aide-mémoire is in file 740.00119 Control (Germany)/10–1749.↩
- Regarding Adenauer’s interview with the High Commissioners, see telegram 3136, October 15, p. 416.↩
- Ante, p. 418.↩
- Not printed.↩