Office of the Historian

371. Telegram From Secretary of State Herter to the Embassy in Germany0

Geneva, June 8, 1959, 11 a.m.

178. Eyes only Chiefs of Mission. Paris pass USRO eyes only for Ambassador Burgess and Thurston for Norstad. Reference Bonn’s 125 to Geneva.1

I have very much in mind Hamlett’s views re limitation Berlin garrisons as well as Norstad’s expressed concerns. In first place we have never considered specific agreement with Soviets on numbers since this would limit our freedom possible future action and open door to Soviet entrance West Berlin on claim rights of inspection. Hence any statement contemplated would take form unilateral declarative statement of intentions. Similarly all Western delegations are thinking in terms intention not exceed existing figures and not in terms any reduction in force unless in Western judgment future developments in Berlin should justify.

Herter

  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 762.00/6–859. Secret; Priority. Repeated to Berlin, London, Moscow, Paris, and the Department as Cahto 86, which is the source text.↩
  2. Telegram 125, June 6, agreed with the reservations that Hamlett, Norstad, and Brandt had expressed about limiting the size of the garrison in Berlin, but stated that if the West did agree to a limitation, this function would not be shared or exercised by the Soviet Union. (Ibid., 762.00/6–659)↩