Foreign Relations of the United States, 1951, European Security and the German Question, Volume III, Part 2

462A.62B31/6–1651: Telegram

The Acting United States High Commissioner for Germany (Hays) to the United States Commandant for Berlin (Mathewson)¹

secret   niact

Bonn, June 16, 1951—9 p. m.

248. For Mathewson. This is AGSec(51)1023.

1. Fol are instrs sent to Berlin commandants by the chairman of Council of Allied High Commission.

a. I append communication which Council of AHC wishes you to hand to Ger authorities of West Berlin.

b. The AHC has been informed by Herr Westrick that East authorities have, of their own accord, resumed stamping of Wareribegleitscheine without requiring certificate of origin. In return, they request that interzonal trade agreement be signed within the next two days. Without accepting this condition, AHC in order to facilitate negotiations will give Fed Govt, as soon as possible, its final instructions on content of this agreement.

c. It shld be understood that continuation of negots will depend on the resumption and continuation of stamping of Warenbegleitscheine without requiring certificates of origin, and that signature of trade agreement will depend on engagement by East authorities not to require such certificates.

d. I wish to emphasize that present communication does not in any way annul proposal which you have made to Dengin in your letter dated 15 June.²

Text of communication to hand to Ger authorities of West sectors:

AHC agrees to the assumption of negots for a new interzonal trade agreement, on condition that there is re-established, at the latest at the time of this resumption, the former state of affairs, in which no certificate of origin or other document be produced to obtain the stamping of Warenbegleitscheine accompanying materials and products delivered to the West by the West sectors.

You shld ensure that the German and Sov authorities of the East Zone are fully in agreement with this procedure.

In any case, the Berlin Senate shld see to it that the previous errors in procedure are not rptd, and that Warenbegleitscheine submitted to the Sov authorities are without certification. Signed G. P. Glain.³

Hays

1. Repeated to Washington, Frankfurt, and Paris. The source text is the copy in the Department of State files.
2. Not printed, but see footnote 3, supra.
3. On June 17 the Department of State endorsed the resumption of interzonal trade negotiations but expressed its belief that the recent developments should not alter the Western conditions and requirements regarding the trade agreement. (Telegram 8596 to Frankfurt 662A.62B31/6–1751)