212. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Bonn0
499. Paris for Embassy and USRO. Following are highlights meeting Four-Power Working Group on Germany Including Berlin held today at Germans’ request to discuss possibility Soviets may raise aspects German question in UNGA.1
There was general agreement Soviets would do so, most probably by attacking alleged Federal Republic militarism or nonacceptance Oder-Neisse line as threat to peace or in conjunction with disarmament proposals along lines of Ulbricht’s (Berlin’s 160).2
US (Kohler, chairman) referred draft declaration circulated by Germans in NATO (Polto 347)3 and said we thought it fine legal defensive statement which country like Norway might make effectively but which it better not make on behalf of NATO as organization. Suggested NATO discussion could be useful primarily in effecting division of labor for rebuttal Soviet charges.
Germans (Krapf) suggested Working Group develop list of points Soviets might raise re Germany and be sure Western Powers prepared discuss each of them. Thought list should include disarmament proposals of Rapacki type, West Berlin free city with possible UN guarantee, alleged militarism and revanchism of Federal Republic, Oder–Neisse line, and peace treaty. Thought Soviets might attempt build “peace front” sentiment for peace treaty among delegations of newer nations.
Kohler said would be worth considering whether, in addition to “basket item” re Soviet actions threatening peace (including actions in Germany), possibility of Western initiative in inscribing item re Germany on UNGA agenda. Explained overwhelming UN support for 1951 resolution4 re investigation to determine whether existing conditions made it possible hold free elections in Germany and Soviet opposition thereto plus Afro-Asian espousal of principle of self-determination [Page 570] which is cornerstone of Western position re Germany indicated there was room for very positive initiative.
Krapf’s reaction favorable. French (Winckler) alluded to dangers Three Powers might lose control of German and Berlin questions to UN. No reaction from British (Thompson). Agreed governments’ views would be sought for further discussion early next week.
After discussion of recent Soviet-East German “salami” tactics against Allied position in Berlin and Berlin-Federal Republic ties, Kohler stressed importance of immediate and vigorous countermeasures. Said it essential make clear to Soviets that US not weakened by impending elections and change of administration and only our backing up verbal protests and statements with concrete measures, for example in economic and travel fields, likely dissuade Soviets from generating serious crisis. Krapf expressed concern interference with interzonal trade could jeopardize much more important Berlin trade. Kohler replied this was risk we must face up to. Thompson said British view value of countermeasures as psychological and, as long as measures taken, do not believe measures need be very severe.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 762.00/9–1560. Secret; Priority. Drafted by McKiernan, cleared by Davis and Hillenbrand, and approved by Kohler. Repeated priority to Paris, London, Moscow, Berlin, and USUN.↩
- A memorandum of the conversation at the meeting is ibid., 320/9–1950.↩
- Dated September 9, telegram 160 from Berlin transmitted a summary of a declaration on disarmament made by Ulbricht on September 8. For text of the declaration, see Dokumente, Band 5, 1960, pp. 234–239.↩
- Polto 347 transmitted the text of a draft declaration of NATO powers supporting the Federal Republic of Germany against the attacks of the Soviet Union. (Department of State, Central Files, 762A.5612/9–1360)↩
- For text, see Foreign Relations, 1951, vol. III, pp. 1824–1825.↩