April-May 1962: Differences Between the United States and the Federal Republic of Germany


30. Paper Prepared in the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 762.00/4–462. Secret. The source text bears no drafting information, but it was attached to an April 4 memorandum from Rusk to the President, which stated that the extensive new language was drawn largely from the texts of the two Soviet documents presented in Geneva or from verbal accounts of Soviet views. A preliminary draft of the paper, which has the same numbered paragraphs but no preamble, is attached to a March 30 memorandum from Klein to Bundy. (Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Staff Memoranda, Klein) A copy of the fourth revision, also dated April 3, which was drafted that morning at a meeting at the Department of State attended by Klein, Bohlen, Kohler, Thompson, and Hillenbrand, and is the same as this paper except for two paragraphs, is ibid.


31. Telegram From the Mission at Berlin to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 762.00/4–662. Secret; Priority.


32. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to Secretary of State Rusk

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 762.00/4–762. Top Secret; Eyes Only. The source text bears no drafting information.


34. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 740.5/4–1362. Top Secret; Limit Distribution. The source text bears no drafting information, but the memorandum was drafted in Washington on April 16 presumably in the office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. The source text is attached to a memorandum from Kohler to Rusk, April 16, in which the Assistant Secretary stated that the Secretary would find the account “both interesting and disturbing.” Kohler added that he was “a little upset that there was not more response by Nitze and Dowling to some of the rather farfetched statements of the Chancellor.” Dowling transmitted a 2-paragraph summary of the conversation in telegram 2477 from Bonn, April 13. (Department of State, Central Files, 611.62A/4–1362)


35. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 762.00/4–1362. Secret; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Cash and initialed by Kohler. The meeting was held in Kohler’s office at the Department of State. It is described briefly in Ruckblenden, p. 550.


36. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 762.00/4–1462. Secret. Drafted by Cash and initialed by Kohler. The meeting was held in Kohler’s office at the Department of State.


37. Letter From Chancellor Adenauer to President Kennedy

Source: Kennedy Library, President’s Office Files, Germany. No classification marking. The source text is labeled “Unofficial Translation.” The letter was delivered to Kohler by Grewe at 11:45 a.m. on April 14, who stated that it had been prepared before the press leak, but it had not been outdated because of the leak. (Memorandum of conversation, April 14; Department of State, Central Files, 762.00/4–1462)


38. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Germany

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.62A/4–1462. Secret; Priority. Drafted by Kohler and Hillenbrand and approved by Rusk. The source text indicates that Rusk discussed it in substance with the President.


39. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 762.00/4–1662. Secret; Eyes Only. Drafted by Rusk. A summary of the conversation was transmitted to Moscow in telegram 2363, April 17. (Ibid., 375/4–1662)


40. Letter From Foreign Minister Schroeder to Secretary of State Rusk

[Source: Department of State, Presidential Correspondence: Lot 66 D 204. Secret; Eyes Only. 2 pages of source text not declassified.]


41. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Germany

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 375/4–2462. Secret; Priority. Drafted by Hillenbrand and approved and initialed by Kohler.


42. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Germany

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 375/4–2862. Secret; Priority. Drafted by Holloway; cleared by R/PM, SOV, S, S/S, and Hillenbrand; and approved and initialed by Kohler. Also sent to Paris and repeated to Moscow and Berlin.


43. Summary of Discussion

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 762.00/4–2862. Secret. The source text bears no drafting information, but possibly Secretary Rusk, who was also present, drafted it. The meeting was held at the White House.


44. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Germany. Secret; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Brandin and approved in the White House on May 7. On April 29, in preparation for this meeting, Bundy sent a memorandum to the President stating that Brentano needed to take away from the conversation the following four points: 1) the United States was determined to defend Berlin, and the President, not the German press, was in charge of this defense; 2) the United States found Schroeder both reliable and able; 3) German critics of the U.S. position were generally ill-informed; and 4) the Kennedy administration was not likely to be swayed by politically inspired leaks, and those responsible for them would lose influence with the United States. (Ibid.)


45. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 762.00/5–362. Secret; Eyes Only. Drafted by Kohler and approved in S on May 6. The meeting was held at the Ambassador’s residence. A summary of this conversation was transmitted in Sectos 24 and 31 from Geneva, May 4. (Ibid., Conference Files: Lot 65 D 533, CF 2104)


46. Memorandum for the Record

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Germany. Secret. Drafted by McGeorge Bundy.


47. Telegram From the Embassy in Germany to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 762.00/5–962. Confidential; Niact; Limit Distribution.


49. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Germany

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 762.00/5–1262. Secret. The source text indicates that the telegram was drafted by Bundy, but he told Rusk in a telephone call at 3:48 p.m. that the President had “worked hard on it in an effort to communicate sharply with the old gentleman.” (Ibid., Rusk Files: Lot 72 D 192) It was cleared by Tyler and Hillenbrand and initialed by Rusk.


50. Telegram From the Embassy in Germany to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 762.00/5–1462. Secret; Niact. Passed to the White House.


51. Telegram From the Embassy in Germany to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 762.00/5–1462. Secret; Priority. Passed to the White House.


53. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Germany

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 762.00/5–1662. Secret; Priority. Drafted by the President.


54. Memorandum From David Klein of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Germany, Berlin. Secret.


55. Memorandum From the Assistant to the President’s Military Representative (Legere) to the President’s Military Representative (Taylor)

Source: National Defense University, Taylor Papers, Box 38, Negotiations. Secret.


57. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in France

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 762.0221/5–2462. Secret; Priority. Drafted by Hillenbrand, cleared by Tyler, and approved and initialed by Kohler.


58. Letter From Chancellor Adenauer to President Kennedy

Source: Department of State, Presidential Correspondence: Lot 66 D 204. Secret. The source text is labeled “Unofficial Translation.” Attached to a May 29 transmittal note from the German Embassy.