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

75. Telegram From the Embassy in Germany to the Department of State⁰

Bonn, November 28, 1958, 6 p.m.

1137. Paris pass USRO, USCINCEUR, Thurston and West. Saw Chancellor this morning. He said he had just told Brentano that the Foreign Ministers of U.S., U.K., France and FedRep should get together one afternoon during December Paris NATO meeting and discuss Soviet note¹ and Berlin problem. This would be better procedure than any special conference and would not attract much public attention. He added it would be very desirable if Secretary Dulles could so arrange his schedule in Paris² to make such a meeting possible.

He expressed himself as very pleased with de Gaulle visit to Bad Kreuznach.³ Relationship between General and himself had been most cordial. He had talked privately for two hours with General on world politics and had found their views generally in accord.

In that part of meeting attended by respective advisers, two chief topics were reviewed: (1) Common Market and free trade area; (2) Berlin.

As to (1) General and he had decided to seek approval of the four members Common Market at forthcoming ministerial meeting and refer matter to Common Market commission under chairmanship of Hallstein, in attempt reach workable arrangement. I asked whether I was at liberty to mention this except to my own government, and he answered no, for Franco-German decision was still in course of being conveyed to other four members. He is seeing British Amb Steel this afternoon and no doubt will communicate same to him.

(2) Adenauer said he had not had chance to study in detail various Russian notes on subject Berlin. He thinks they must be viewed against background of January Soviet Party Congress in Moscow and we should await conclusion that conference before fixing any definite Western decision. He does not want to have Khrushchev in position to boast during session Congress that he had sent a note and forced the four heads of Western governments to have meeting.

Gen. de Gaulle had agreed with him that since NATO founding Soviets have made no advances in Europe, and that Berlin must continue to be garrisoned by Allied troops, since its loss would give Soviets almost fatal advantage over West.

Moreover, he said he had not made up his mind whether or when it would be necessary for four heads to convene. This could be discussed by FonMins in Paris, but at any rate time for any such meeting was “not yet.”

Chancellor going to Berlin to spend Thursday and Friday next week and will make several speeches there. He is very calm and expects present excitement in German press to subside.

Bruce

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 762.0221/11–2858. Secret; Niact. According to another copy of this telegram, it was drafted by Bruce. (Ibid., Bruce Diaries: Lot 64 D 327) Repeated to Paris, London, Moscow, and Berlin.
1. See Document 72.
2. Secretary Dulles was scheduled to attend the North Atlantic Council Ministerial Meeting at Paris, December 16–18.
3. For de Gaulle’s record of this meeting on November 26, see Mémoires, pp. 190–191. De Gaulle wrote that he assured the Chancellor that France would oppose any change in the status of Berlin.