260. Telegram From the Embassy in the Federal Republic of Germany to the Department of State1
205. Re Embassy telegram to Department 203.2 Following are random comments on same subject by Chancellor and Blankenhorn.
1. Chancellor:
- a.
- SPD desires the neutralization of Germany, in fact has done so for long time. This would later result in communization of Europe. Some day there will be a relaxation of tensions by Soviets but not now. If SPD wins elections, ruinous conditions will ensue, and Western powers will gravely suffer.
- b.
- Disarmament conference cannot achieve real result until German elections are over, for if Soviets think there is any chance whatsoever of SPD victory, they will not be so foolish as to commit themselves now.
- c.
- The West is exposing its hand, the Soviets are revealing nothing. West is raising peoples’ hopes by exaggerated optimism, disappointment will increase neutralization sentiment in Federal Republic. Unfounded optimism is very dangerous.
- d.
- Additional caution should characterize Western conduct disarmament negotiations because of state of political flux in Soviet Union.
- e.
- Democracies handicapped in dealing with dictatorships, since representatives being decent themselves disclose their ultimate intentions and positions too frankly to dictatorships’ emissaries who possess no real mandate from home government, and whose duty it is to discover plans of adversary without revealing own.
2. Blankenhorn:
Chancellor feels he has accomplished much this year, i.e. military service accepted by public, shock and apprehensions about fall-out almost over, and NATO becoming more popular.
Above represents enormous change in public sentiment. But to go too quickly in arousing grandiose hopes may turn German people against constructing adequate defense system.
NATO has been given too little time for consideration of latest U.S. delegation proposal. Could we not concentrate in first phase on air inspection plan plus fixed control system re airfields? NATO should know more about inspection arrangements envisaged by U.S. Large numbers of Soviet inspectors in two Germanies would raise serious problems for Federal Republic.