762A.00/8–1451: Telegram
The Director of the Berlin Element of HICOG ( Jones ) to the Office of the United States High Commissioner for Germany, at Frankfurt1
281. PEPCO from Morgan. Our tentative impressions of policy implications in Ulbricht August 12 speech and press conf on White Book (our 265, Frankfort August 13, rptd Dept 226, Bonn 104, pouched London, Paris, Moscow2), plus Grotewohl concluding remarks (Taegl Rundsch August 14):
Formal summation of Commie charges in White Book submitted all govts looks like preparation for official action.
Proclamation legal right to resistance vs. Bonn Govt (based on alleged breach constitution), re statement of desire “negotiate” with W Gers in order unify Ger and develop “common position of Ger [Page 1779] people on question of peace treaty”, rejection of “Adenauer-clique” for such negots, appeal new Ger bourgeois “peace forces” to “take affairs of W Ger in own hands” for this purpose, resembles bid for formation “constituent council” by collaboration W Ger stooges (our 67 to Frankfort, July 14, rptd Dept 50, Bonn 21, Moscow 123). May indicate arrangements now completed for this step.
Call for continuation of plebiscite however points toward postponement next step at least several weeks. May indicate belief more “resonance” can be drummed up by rising econ pressures, possible dramatic events elsewhere. Ref to danger that W Ger Wehrmacht to be official be announced “in few weeks”. May also be clue to Commie timing steps to match.
Grotewohl on negots with W Gers for unity makes plain that such step wld not annul “achievements of GDR” though these not to be extended “automatically” to W Ger; precise form of unified Ger to be worked out by “Gers at one table”, but such Ger must be “democratic”, can not be realized under conditions now obtaining in W Ger. This plainly excludes concessions for unification which wld seriously jeopardize Commie hold.
Allegation that Amer troops “have begun murdering Ger youth” signalized by Neues Deutschland lead edit Aug 14 as sign Ger peace struggle has entered new stage. Hence we anticipate further real or imaginary “Fascist provocations” this sort in coming months, as desperate effort kindle Ger passions against Allies and Adenauer. (Honecker Aug 12 speech said “hour is no longer very distant when Ger people will settle matters with its enemies and treat murderers of Ger youth as murderers deserve”).
Intimidation given prominent place in press conf and Ulbricht speech, ranging from general stress war danger to warning that W Gers who use firearms against Gers will be listed and held accountable. Notorious Dec 1950 “peace law”4 alluded to. Optimistic estimate of chances favoring W Ger resistance movement mainly supported by ref to backing of USSR and world peace movement, which “will not permit” scourge of Ger militarism third time. Devastation that war wld bring France also pointed up.
Commies thus heading for rising tensions, not détente this area.
Jones
- Repeated to Washington, Bonn, London, Moscow, Paris and Rome. The source text is the copy in the Department of State files.↩
- Not printed; it reported on Ulbricht’s speech and press conference on August 12 and indicated that the white book which had been published by the German National Council was a compilation of the usual Communist charges of Western intervention in West Germany and attempts to resurrect German militarism. (762A.00/8–1351)↩
- Not printed; it reported that evidence was increasing that the Communists were preparing for unilateral implementation of the items in the Praha communiqué dealing with an all-German constituent council, a provisional government, and a German peace treaty. (762A.00/7–1451)↩
- For the text of the “Law for the Defense of Peace”, December 15, 1950, see Ruhm von Oppen, Documents on Germany, pp. 536–538.↩