93. Telegram From the Mission to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and European Regional Organizations to the Department of State0
Polto 1631. We have been discussing with Embassy, US Element SHAPE, and among ourselves possible formulations of a NATO position concerning Berlin. Ray Thurston has come up with following brief formulation which strikes us as excellent, and could possibly serve as core of NATO communiqué on this subject:
“The Western position in Berlin is not only a symbol but also a concrete assurance that the West will persist in its efforts to obtain a peaceful and just settlement of the entire German question. Until progress is made toward this objective, unilateral efforts to change the situation in Berlin can only be regarded as prejudicial to the peace and security of Europe and, therefore, cannot be accepted.”
We think a formulation of this kind could be a standard to which all NATO countries could repair while discussions continue on desirability of one kind or another of initiative on German problem. Believe also this kind of formulation, if stated early in discussion, would tend to pull together various differences of emphasis and nuances among NATO countries which could, in course of expected lengthy discussions, get out of proportion. Houghton and Norstad concur.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 762.00/12–1058. Secret; Priority. Repeated to Bonn and London.↩