Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Berlin Crisis, 1958–1959, Volume VIII

262. Telegram From the Embassy in the United Kingdom to the Department of State⁰

London, April 15, 1959, 2 p.m.

5340. Paris for USRO. Pass Defense. From Hillenbrand. Following are some general impressions after second day of Working Group session.¹

1. Both Germans and French continue to take extremely cautious position on reunification proposals, and there appears to be little prospect in Working Group of restoring major elements of original US proposals or even German proposals made at Paris meetings.² It should, however, be possible to preserve framework of phased plan and to retain a few novelties in its content such as creation of mixed committee prior to holding of free elections. New and peculiar German proposal to use residual authority of occupying powers to implement decisions of mixed committee obviously needs to be reconsidered (see Embtel 5334).³

2. [3 lines of source text not declassified] Having read spate of newspaper speculation about possible confederation proposals, they apparently insist on labeling any contact between East and West Germans beyond those in their own proposals as equivalent to confederation, even though such contacts or institutionalizations thereof involve no executive or other governmental powers. [3 lines of source text not declassified]

3. British are playing unusually reticent role. They have put forward no security proposals and their Berlin paper⁴ reflected none of willingness to accept basic changes which they allegedly are resigned to. If we may hazard guess, they will not reveal themselves further in present Working Group sessions but will concur without too much difficulty in agreed recommendations reached by Working Group. There have been no hints of any proposals for European security measures not linked to phased plan.

4. French generally can be counted on to react almost pathologically to suggestions that UN might play any significant role. They have, however, indicated at least willingness to consider possibility of UN function re Berlin as envisaged British paper. We are sending separate cable commenting on French security proposals.⁵

Whitney

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 762.00/4–1559. Secret. Repeated to Berlin, Bonn, Moscow, and Paris.
1. Hillenbrand was in London as the head of the U.S. Delegation to the Four-Power Working Group, which began work on April 13 (see Document 270).
2. See Document 242.
3. Telegram 5334, April 14, transmitted a summary of the discussion at the second session of the Working Group, which focused on a German plan for reunification of Germany. (Department of State, Central Files, 762.00/4–1559)
4. A copy of this paper, given to the Department of State on April 10, was transmitted to Bonn in airgram G–453, April 10. (Ibid., 762.00/4–1059)
5. A copy of this paper was transmitted in airgram G–897 from London, April 14. (Ibid., 762.00/4–1459)