Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Berlin Crisis, 1959–1960; Germany; Austria, Volume IX

282. Telegram From the Mission at Berlin to the Department of State⁰

Berlin, February 4, 1960, 3 p.m.

614. Paris for Embassy, USRO, CINCEUR, Thurston and Finn. Ref Dept’s G-80 to Bonn, Sept. 28, 1959.¹

Mission is concerned by recent signs of diminution determination within NATO family to prevent or at least deter increase in international acceptance of “GDR”. SovZone regime spokesmen have been quick to spot such real or imagined tendencies within Western Alliance to accommodate themselves to “existence of GDR,” and ever since GDR participation in Geneva Fonmin conference have been repeating to East German population their claims of increasing international recognition. These efforts have not been without some success and most observers of SovZone scene agree growth of resignation in SovZone population has correspondingly accelerated.

Within past months these signs of Western slippage have significantly increased. GDR has made important progress in reported Greek agreement permit semi-scheduled Interflug flights into Athens (our G-167 to Dept),² SAS landings at East German Schoenefeld Airport (ourtels 341 and 497 to Dept)³ and SAS charter Olympic flight from Schoenefeld to Reno, Nevada. Provincial SovZone paper recently announced Danish Government has finally acceded to request from GDR Ministry of Communication for establishment GDR travel bureau in Copenhagen. Italian Government authorized approval issuance visitor’s visas to Politburo candidate Kurella and Neues Deutschland Chief Editor Axen (ourtel 598 to Dept),⁴ as well as reportedly joining Greek Government in permitting newly purchased, much publicized vacation tour ship People’s Friendship (formerly the Stockholm) to make scheduled stops at Italian and Greek ports en route from Rostock to Black Sea. French Govt was prepared permit GDR MinPres Grotewohl appear on govt controlled TV network until FedRep intervened (ourtel 518 to Dept).⁵ British have acceded to pressure from left-wing Laborite MPs and permitted entrance leading SED propagandists Deter and Brasch in actions which bode ill for interpretation by British of newly achieved tripartite agreement in London on GDR travel. Even we have felt obliged to admit East German officials, such as Rudi Reichert, for Olympic games.

As seen from Berlin, Department’s compelling statement in ref message reviewing general question non-recognition of GDR and pointing out urgent need for “forceful reaffirmation Allied policy” is even more pertinent today. Perhaps presentation of tripartite travel agreement to NATO following discussions with FedRep would be appropriate time restate U.S. determination maintain this policy. Regardless of date and place chosen, it seems essential and urgent such a forceful reaffirmation be made in order stop what appears to us as serious slippage in NATO attitudes on this question.⁶

Lightner

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 762B.02/2–460. Confidential. Repeated” London, Paris, Moscow, Rome, Athens, Copenhagen, and Oslo.
1. Airgram G-80 stated that official East German travel abroad was giving the German Democratic Republic increased political standing in some countries and that there was a need for quadripartite discussions to counter it. (Ibid., 033.62B/9–1959)
2. Dated December 16, 1959. (Ibid., 962B.9281/12–1659)
3. Dated October 5 and December 5, 1959, respectively. (Ibid., 951.7262A/10–559 and 951.7262A/12–559)
4. Dated January 29, 1960. (Ibid., 862A.181/1–2960)
5. Dated December 11, 1959. (Ibid., 762B.00/12–1159)
6. On February 20, the Department of State informed the Mission at Berlin that it shared its concern. After pointing out that there had been no changes in the East German regime to warrant its acceptance, the Department stressed that the Federal Republic, as the most directly affected country, should take more vigorous steps to deal with the problem. (Telegram 1812 to Bonn; ibid., 762B.02/2–460)