117. Editorial Note
On September 18 and 19, 1970, senior-level officials from the United States, United Kingdom, France, and West Germany met in Bonn to discuss the status of the quadripartite negotiations on Berlin. In a memorandum for the U.S. representative, Country Director for Germany James Sutterlin explained that the participants would consider a German draft of a treaty on Berlin as well as an “expanded version” of an earlier Allied paper for possible exchange with the Soviet Union. “We believe that whatever emerges from the discussion of the two papers above,” Sutterlin concluded, “a new method of negotiating and probing the Soviet position must be found.” (Memorandum from Sutterlin to Hillenbrand, September 14; National Archives, RG 59, EUR/CE Files: Lot 91 D 341, POL 39.1, 1970 Four Power Talks, Aug–Sep Preparations for Meetings)
William Hyland of the NSC staff summarized the meeting as follows:
“At a meeting of senior level officials this weekend, we have agreed with the British, French and Germans on the basis for a possible agreement to offer the USSR on Berlin. The essential features call for continuing respect for four-power agreements, and under this rubric, for unimpeded access to West Berlin with control features limited to identification. The agreement would also include freer movement for West Berliners to East Berlin, establishment of additional crossing points, and expanded or renewed telephone and telex communications. The various links between West Berlin (economic, cultural, etc.) and West Germany would be determined by the three Western powers and West Berlin would also be represented abroad by West Germany. In return, the constitutional organs of the FRG would not perform their official functions in West Berlin, and the Soviets would ‘respect’ the arrangements outlined in the agreement. A cutdown version of this approach will be given to the USSR, in an exchange of draft agreements. The formal four-power talks are scheduled for September 30.” (Memorandum from Fazio to Kissinger, September 22; ibid., Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 26, President’s Daily Briefs, September 18, 1970–Sept. 30, 1970)
The texts of the papers approved at the senior-level, meeting were transmitted in telegrams 10837 and 10839 from Bonn, both September 19. (Ibid., RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 28 GER B and POL 38–6, respectively) A detailed account of the discussion at the meeting is in airgrams A–1045 and A–1046 from Bonn, September 25, and A–1047, September 28. (Ibid., POL 1 GER, POL GER W–USSR, and POL 38–6, respectively) For German records of the meeting, see Akten zur Auswärtigen Politik der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, 1970, Vol. 3, pages 1624–1636.
[Page 334]On September 23 the Soviet and Allied Ambassadors exchanged papers for discussion in the Berlin negotiations. The text of the Soviet paper is in telegram 1376 from Berlin, September 23. (National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 28 GER B) In its analysis of the Soviet paper, the Embassy in Bonn concluded: “The paper shows a very slight degree of movement toward the Western position as regards inner-Berlin movement and access, but is otherwise a standard representation of Soviet views thus far.” (Telegram 11066 from Bonn, September 24; ibid.) The Department agreed that the paper was not “a suitable basis for eventual agreement on Berlin.” (Telegram 159011 to Bonn, September 26; ibid.)