226. Telegram From the Embassy in Germany to the Department of State0
493. Embtel 489.1 In meeting with Chancellor last night he asked me convey to Department his appreciation for firm stand US taking on Berlin. To my suggestion that further countermeasures might be necessary, he said he was prepared to move further if Washington so desired. He mentioned study of possibility of sending all shipments to DDR through Berlin (see reftel) and said he had asked for continuing study other measures.
Adenauer then said he and Brandt were in agreement there was urgent need, practical and psychological, for increase Western garrisons in Berlin, and asked that we give serious consideration this request. He reminded me East Berliners working in West Berlin had increased by some 12, 000 to about 50, 000 since June last year, and said he feared these workers could provide spearhead for local disturbances. He also said he had insisted that Berlin Senat move ahead on plan for auxiliary police. I replied there were, as he knew, arguments against troop increase at this time, but he insisted that advantages were outweighing.
I told Chancellor of my conversation earlier in day with Carstens re Soviet technicians in FedRep (Deptel 555),2 and he, like Carstens, responded favorably, saying it was obvious something must be done to curb their numbers and activities.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 762.00/10–160. Secret. Received at 9:46 a.m. Repeated to Berlin, London, Paris, and Moscow.↩
- Dated September 30, telegram 489 from Bonn reported that Carstens had met that evening with representatives of the three Western Embassies to brief them on the denunciation of the interzonal trade agreement. (Ibid., 462A.62B41/9–3060)↩
- Telegram 555 concerns an unrelated subject. The correct reference has not been identified.↩