762A.00/4–1251: Telegram
The United States High Commissioner for Germany (McCloy) to the Secretary of State 1
732. AGSec from Slater. Fol is verbatim text Adenauer ltr to Kirkpatrick which Adenauer promised to send in 5 Apr meeting with Council (see para 5 of Bonn sent Dept 697, rptd info Frankfort 835, Berlin 216, Paris 212, London 192, Moscow 22.2 Refer also to report executive session HICOG Bonn sent Dept 731, rptd Frankfort 883, Berlin 217, Paris 231, London 204 this date3).
“Slow and hesitant start which has been made in measures for effective defense of federal territory and Berlin has caused lively concern to Ger public opinion and parliamentary circles. I draw your attention to fol points and to ask you to inform your govt of them.
“1. Security of West Eur decisively depends upon whether West Germany can be successfully protected against Soviet Russia or satellite attack. If West Ger potential of manpower, raw materials and productive capacity were to fall into Eastern hands, it is difficult to [Page 1471] imagine how remainder of West Eur—Great Britain not excepted—could be saved. Moreover, this shld result in menace of greatest extent to entire Atlantic world.
“2. Apart from my responsibility for life and possessions of Ger population, it was this consideration which moved me as early as 1949, and with mounting insistence during 1950 in my talks with High Commissioners to demand guarantee of security for Ger, including western sectors of Berlin.
“3. In my memoranda, which I addressed to three West Allied govts immediately prior to New York conf,4 I pointed with emphasis to extraordinary mil weakness of West Allies in West Eur as compared with Soviet forces in East zone and menacing development of Volkspolizei. I simultaneously asked for authorization to establish a police force which wld be at least capable of repelling any intervention by Volkspolizei.
“4. At New York conf of Sept 1950, reps of three West Allied govts, in most important decision, undertook complete guarantee for external security of FedRep and west sectors of Berlin, and in implementation of this guarantee resolved to increase strength of their armed forces stationed within federal territory. Allow me to quote below these decisions as they were communicated to me by then chairman of HICOM, Ambassador Poncet on 23 Sept 1950:
‘With regard to external security of bund, three powers have stated that they consider that their forces stationed in Ger were not merely occupation forces but that it was also their task to ensure protection of FedRep and western sectors of Berlin.
‘The powers have expressly added that they wld consider any attack against FedRep from whatever quarter as an attack directed against themselves, even if it only came from Volkspolizei without any intervention on the part of Soviet Russia.
‘It is therefore a complete guarantee of external security which three powers are giving to FedRep. I lay stress on this point which appears to have escaped notice of section of Ger press.
‘In order to make this guarantee more effective powers will very shortly increase and reinforce forces which they maintain on federal territory.’
“If this guarantee is to have any meaning then it must be this, that West Allies will, by their preparations and strategic dispositions, prevent any penetration of hostile forces across federal frontiers, that is to say that, so far as possible federal territory shall not become the theater of mil operations.
“5. Almost seven months have passed since New York decisions. A considerable number of preparatory discussions, including some with Ger experts, has taken place which were concerned with making federal territory secure thru Amer, Brit and Fr troops. Up to date, however, reinforcements have not arrived in adequate numbers. In addition, plans for accommodating balance Brit security troops in federal territory may, insofar as they have become known to date, lead to conclusion that northwestern part of FedRep will be given up in case of an attack. Reports from various quarters have it that Allied circles are thinking of restoring, or improving, Maginot Line. These reports [Page 1472] draw our attention from certain statements contained in Fr Govt’s terms of reference for Pleven-plan discussions dealing with establishment of mil units for exclusive use in fortified defense systems. These and similar facts, in which might be included release of nineteen barracks by US mil authorities because, in the words of these authorities, they were not now required, have caused uncertainty and anxiety in wide circles of Ger population and public opinion with regard to plans of Allied mil staff for defense of West Ger.
“6. This uncertainty is, of course, exploited and propaganda capital is made of it by very active fifth column. The work of Federal Govt, which has always followed an unequivocal line in these matters and which has so far succeeded in controlling all these trends which are endeavoring to arouse in West Ger sympathy for idea of neutrality is thus made more difficult.
“7. It may be assumed that Federal Govt and West Allied govts are agreed on necessity to make mil forces in West Ger so strong, that they wld constitute a direct risk to Soviet Russia shld they later contemplate an attack. We are still far removed from this at present. Conditions for fulfillment of security guarantee, which consists in territory of FedRep being effectively protected against attack from whatever quarter, have not yet been created.
“8. It is understandable that this development is causing Federal Govt and Federal Chancellor extraordinary anxiety. Federal Govt can only succeed in its endeavors to maintain in Ger people’s will to defend itself, and, in first place, to make the population immune against dangerous propaganda from East, if Allied Powers on their part do everything which will make manifest to Ger people resolve of West effectively to defend FedRep and Berlin. This especially includes expeditious augmentation of Allied troops on Ger territory by modernly equipped units, whose speedy arrival is urgently desired.
“I have honor to ask you to submit my request to His Majesty’s govt that Allied Supreme Command regularly inform Federal Govt, via suitable Ger mil experts, of strength and deployment of Allied troops in West Ger, as well as of strategic defense plans.”
McCloy