Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Germany and Austria, Volume VII, Part 1

396.1 BE/1–1754: Telegram

No. 338
The Assistant United States High Commissioner for Germany (Parkman) to the Office of the United States High Commissioner for Germany, at Bonn¹

confidential
niact

Berlin, January 17, 1954—7 a.m.

870. Re Deptel 2532 to Paris, 3676 to London, repeated Berlin 474, Bonn 2086, Moscow 475; re Bonn’s 433 to Berlin, repeated Department 2271, Paris 455, London 363, Moscow 142.²

At Western Cdts fifth meeting with Dengin, which began at 1715 hours January 16 and ended 0455 January 17,³ three Cdts in name their respective governments accepted following formula proposed by Dengin (at 0115 hours) for solution Foreign Ministers’ meeting site issue: during first week of Berlin conference all meetings of Foreign Ministers will take place in ACA building in West Berlin, during second week all meetings will take place in Unter Den Linden residence of Soviet High Commissioner in East Berlin, and during third week all meetings will take place ACA building; as for fourth week, “this question will depend on course of conference itself.”

Last-minute snag developed, however, when Dengin refused to associate himself with proposed quadripartite communiqué reporting in precise terms that agreement had been reached among four High Commissioners’ representatives on basis spelled out as per above in Dengin proposal and accepted by Cdts. Dengin at this point stated he would have to consult with his High Commissioner before issuing any such communiqué and proposed instead brief communiqué stating merely that agreement had been reached on two buildings for conference and that details would be issued later. Since this immediately raised question of whether any agreement had in fact been reached and if so on what terms, Cdts declined accede to this procedure. When pressed Dengin repeatedly confirmed that Cdts proposed communiqué was accurate statement of his proposal (and he even repeated it in detail as given first paragraph) but persistently refused sign any document or agree to detailed communiqué until he had reported to his High Commissioner. He declined General Timberman’s invitation to do so by phone immediately on ground of lateness of hour. Best which Cdts could get from Dengin was commitment consult his High Commissioner at earliest opportunity and arrange with his colleagues for meeting of four deputies late afternoon or early evening January 17 to work out detailed quadripartite communiqué. British Cdt then declared meeting in recess until receipt of further word from Dengin. Three Western Cdts declined issue any communiqué at all at this stage and agreed that for moment only information to be given press was that meeting had recessed until later in the day.

It is view of General Timberman and British and French Cdts that Dengin made his proposal in good faith and personally is willing abide by it but that he simply did not have authority reach final agreement without specific approval from Semenov.

During course of long and tedious discussion which preceded introduction new Dengin proposal, latter had maintained completely negative and hedging position and had declined to entertain favorably or even display any interest in various stages outlined in reference Western representatives. In face of this attitude three Cdts had maneuvered carefully through various stages outlined in reference telegrams virtually to point of accepting formula set forth in point C of reference Department telegram, i.e., meetings on alternating days in ACA building and Soviet sector building. (To all Cdts arguments on behalf of three to one formula on basis of chairman’s choice in rotation, Dengin had stolidly reiterated that all questions re chairmanship were for Foreign Ministers themselves to decide.) Since new Dengin proposal represented in view all three Cdts infinitely more advantageous arrangement than that which at that stage they were faced with having to accept without much further delay, three Western Cdts after telephonic consultation with Bonn and some effort obtain elaboration of Dengin formula for meetings fourth week (which had obviously been carefully worded and appeared in no event prejudicial to US), accepted Dengin proposal without further discussion.⁴

Parkman

1. Repeated to Paris, London, Moscow, and Washington; the source text is the copy in Department of State files.
2. Regarding telegram 2532, see footnote 5, Document 336. Telegram 433 transmitted the High Commissioners instructions to the Western Commandants on how to present the proposal in telegram 2532 to Dengin. (396.1 BE/1–1654)
3. The verbatim minutes of this meeting are in CFM files, lot M 88, box 167, “Quadripartite Meeting of the Berlin Commandants”.
4. In a subsequent telegram Parkman reported that the Soviet representatives had telephoned British headquarters to state that they were in agreement with the text of the communiqué which recorded the agreed four-power position on the location for the conference. (Telegram 777 from Berlin, Jan. 17 (8 p.m.), 396.1 BE/1–1754) The text of the communiqué, also transmitted in telegram 777, was released to the press at 7:30 p.m., Berlin time.