Office of the Historian

662.001/3–1652: Telegram

No. 70
The Chargé in the Soviet Union (Cumming) to the Department of State1

secret priority
Moscow, March 16, 1952—8 p.m.

1479. Deptel 627, March 14, rptd Paris 5437, London 4510, Bonn 2071.2 We believe that Sov proposal, when viewed in connection with past policy toward Ger and best estimate Sov strategy in Eur, is propaganda move designed to bolster up current Sov objectives of delaying or preventing Western rearmament and West Ger participation [Page 179] in it. Sov proposal obviously includes hope of leading us into fruitless fourpower negotiations as part their delaying tactics.

Emphasis in US draft reply on concrete proposals which we have already made to assure free Ger elections seem to us best answer to Sov draft.

The view set forth by Eden in Deptel 6283 and view expressed in Berlin’s tel to Bonn 840, Mar 154 that proposal might mean that Sovs now may be more willing to relinquish any part of their control over East Ger seems to us to be similar to views advanced in past few months by a number of Moscow colleagues that Sov’s anxiety to prevent or stall Western Ger militarization might lead them to make an actual concession. We find it difficult to follow any line of reasoning which would involve their relinquishment of at least a part, and for at least a time, of Sov control over East Ger. This control we believe to be essential to Sov objectives in Eur. Difficult to imagine their weakening it by allowing free elections which wld jeopardize the very fabric of control. Moreover, Sov policy traditionally has been to hold on to what they have got rather than to engage in trade.5

In view internal polit considerations which Fr Govt will have to take into account we foresee difficulty in obtaining early identical draft. Since it desirable that early reply shld be made, suggest that replies from three govts might vary somewhat in text while containing basically identical ideas without weakening effect joint response.6

Cumming
  1. Repeated to Bonn, London, Paris, and Berlin.↩
  2. Printed as telegram 4510, Document 67.↩
  3. Printed as telegram 4517, Document 68.↩
  4. Telegram 840 transmitted preliminary views of the motives and intentions underlying the Soviet note. (662.001/3–1552)↩
  5. Next to this paragraph in the source text Calhoun had written “Fr view opposite.”↩
  6. Next to the last sentence of this paragraph in the source text, Calhoun had written “No.”↩