Office of the Historian

65. Letter From Secretary of State Rusk to the Ambassador to Germany (McGhee)1

Washington, August 13, 1964.

Dear George:

We have read with interest your letter of July 212 setting forth certain suggestions as to what might be done to try to help improve relations between the Federal Republic and the Soviet Union. We have also noted your supplementary comment in Bonn’s 370 of July 29, and Foy Kohler’s observations on the subject in Moscow’s 364 of August 3.3

We definitely agree, of course, that an improvement in relations between the Federal Republic and the Soviet Union is a very desirable goal and something which, within the limits of our resources, we should continue [Page 147] discreetly to work for. An important part of the problem, as you suggest, is to try to correct some of the misconceptions and misimpressions which appear to exist in the minds of the Soviets about the true state of affairs in the Federal Republic. The Adzhubei visit may well have, as you indicate, served a useful purpose in this regard, and the same might be true of a Khrushchev visit to the Federal Republic should this materialize.

As for what we can do ourselves in this area, I think there are certain limitations on our capabilities. I am impressed by the point made by Foy that in the final analysis the Soviets are not so much interested in what we might ourselves say or think about the Germans as they are in what the Germans say and do themselves. Furthermore, the extent of the Soviet commitment to Ulbricht & Co. will probably make it difficult for Moscow to move very far in the direction of conciliation with Bonn, even with Erhard rather than Adenauer as Chancellor.

Nevertheless, I agree fully with you that this is a subject of great importance and that we should continue, in our contacts with the Soviets and Germans, to do what we can to help improve at least the atmospherics in FRG/Soviet relations. I feel sure, for example, that there will be opportunities for improvement in East/West relations to which the Federal Republic could contribute, through collaboration with us and by initiative of its own.

I am happy to note that you and Foy will be getting together in the near future to talk, among other things, about the ideas set out in your July 21 letter. I shall await with interest the further views of you both.

Thanks also for your letter of July 254 forwarding Von Hassel’s Tutzing speech.

Sincerely,

Dean
  1. Source: Department of Stare, Central Files, POL 7 GER W–US. Secret. A copy was sent to Kohler. A memorandum attached to the source text states that the letter was drafted by Creel.↩
  2. Document 63.↩
  3. Neither printed. (Department of State, Central Files, POL GER W–USSR)↩
  4. Not printed. (Ibid.,POL 7 GER W–USSR)↩