Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Germany and Austria, Volume VII, Part 1

662A.00/4–2852: Telegram

No. 23
The United States High Commissioner for Germany (McCloy) to the Department of State¹

secret priority

Bonn, April 28, 1952—9 p.m.

2551. Fol is merely for your information as a general report on the status of our final negotiations. Requires no action.

We made good progress today with Chancellor,² but I sense that we are entering into a period when the Communists, SPD and neutralist propaganda is reaching its highest intensity. There has already appeared evidence of an undercover campaign taking form of threats of what might happen to Berlin and generally if the contractuals and EDF agreements are signed. This is paralleling the current peace and unity campaign. Result of this may be some FedRep pressure to moderate or modify provisions to which the Chancellor has already agreed as the outside pressure rises, but thus far Chancellor has indicated he would seek only modifications of form. Chancellor is clearly concerned over southwest state defection which complicates his position in Bundesrat.³ I am also advised that Blank has refused in Paris to recognize the effect of the Chancellor’s acceptance of the Fr proposal re propellants and perhaps other items in list II. I believe in this, Blank has the strong support of the military advisers and certain important polit leaders, and I fear that it is about to blossom into a tough obstacle.

McCloy

1. Repeated to London and Paris.
2. McCloy reported on the meeting with Adenauer on Apr. 28 in telegrams 2553 and 2564 from Bonn. (662A.00/4–2852 and 262.0041/4–2952)
3. On Apr. 25 the formation of a new coalition government in the South West German State resulted in the loss of control of the Bundesrat by the Adenauer government.