Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Germany and Austria, Volume VII, Part 2

762A.00/1–953

No. 564
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Deputy Director of the Berlin Element, HICOG (Maynard)¹

confidential

[Berlin, Undated.]

Present:

• Mayor Reuter, Mr. Reber, Mr. Debevoise, Mr. Maynard

1. The Mayor raised three points in the economic field. He stated that he believed Berlin could absorb more capital investment than it had during the current year and that he hoped that MSA would be able to make larger amounts of investment capital available. He pointed out that these amounts were loans and the Berlin firms had a very good record of re-payment. His second point was to stress the desirability of streamlining and simplifying the procedure for the approval of loans to firms so that the capital available could be put into circulation more rapidly. His third point was concerned with the work relief program which he felt must be re-examined. He anticipated that he could secure some funds from the Federal Republic for this program but felt it might be necessary to request additional sums from us. With people out of work for so many years the current size of this program should be increased until it reaches perhaps the figure of a year ago.

Mr. Maynard replied that the Mayor could be assured that the first two points he raised were near solution; that it was fully anticipated that more counterpart funds would be released for Berlin investment during the coming year than during the past year, and that Mehlem was working with the Federal Government on streamlining procedures necessary in granting these loans. Mr. Maynard further stated that he knew that Mehlem was concerned with the work relief program and would certainly seriously examine and give sympathetic consideration to any proposal that the Mayor might wish to make.

2. Mayor Reuter then turned to the refugee problem and stated that he felt it was not impossible that 300,000 refugees might arrive in Berlin during the next year. He did not suggest this figure as a firm estimate but stressed the point that it was an outside figure which he must be prepared to handle. He felt this may be one of Berlin’s most serious problems during the coming year. He suggested that refugees should be flown directly to the West after the preliminary security screening had been made in Berlin. The Mayor stressed that this problem was not one basically of finances but of space and Berlin morale; Berlin lacked the actual space for many additional large refugee centers. Such a large number of refugees affected the entire population of Berlin, and it might be necessary to re-examine the treatment of “unrecognized” refugees. He had talked with various Ministers in Bonn about the matter but he was not sure that they realized its seriousness and that they had been slow to act. He further stated that at the moment at least there was no actual transportation problem although certainly one would arise if any such number as envisioned actually did arrive.

Mr. Reber replied that he saw the serious implications of such a large refugee influx and would see the Federal Chancellor personally on this matter. He informed the Mayor that he was inspecting a refugee camp on New Year’s day.

3. The Mayor then raised the problem of arming of the German police at Sector/Zonal boundaries. He stated that the whole population of Berlin had a feeling there was something lacking in their protection and it was extremely important to take some action to smooth down the psychological reaction of the people of Berlin to the recent incident in Frohnau.² Various technicalities were then discussed. Mr. Reber pointed out that the German police were now equally armed with the Vopos and that it might not be heavier arming of the West Berlin police that would solve the problem. The question should be thoroughly reviewed from point of view of the technicians and that the answer might be that a different type of vehicle should be used by the Berlin police or that it might be more rapid communications or again it might be a question of more Allied patrols or a different system or dispersion of the Allied Military patrols now operating.³

The Mayor then digressed saying that the matter would be more simple if a single Commandant had overall responsibility in Berlin but that he fully realized that for the time being this was impossible.

Mr. Reber stressed that he fully understood the seriousness of the situation and would recommend that immediate discussion be undertaken between the three Allied public safety experts and the German Police President to make specific recommendations. Mr. Reber stated that he would discuss this matter with General Mathewson before leaving Berlin.

1. This meeting took place at the U.S. High Commissioner’s residence at Berlin on Dec. 30, 1952. The source text was transmitted as enclosure 1 to despatch 562 from Berlin, Jan. 9, 1953. A second enclosure was a memorandum of Reber’s conversation on Dec. 31 with Suhr and the chairmen of the three main political parties in Berlin, dealing with a constitutional court and security in Berlin.
2. Presumably a reference to the shooting of a West Berlin policeman in the French Sector by Soviet soldiers at the end of December.
3. The question of arming Berlin police was discussed further by Reuter with the Western Commandants on Jan. 2, 1953. The Commandants told Reuter that they were unable to agree to arming the police with automatic weapons which they believed would only lead to more gun battles and raise tension in the city. (Telegram 989 from Berlin, Jan. 3, 762A.00/1–353)