862B.49/8–1453
No. 744
Chancellor Adenauer to
President Eisenhower1
My Dear Mr. President: It is with deep gratitude that the people of East Berlin and of the Soviet-occupied Zone receive the [Page 1641] food relief granted them thanks to speedy action of the United States Administration. I on my part should like to express again my sincere gratitude for this relief. Your generous readiness to help those people in distress encourages me to submit to you another wish:
Winter will come within a few months, and we must reckon with the fact that the population of the East Sector and of the Soviet-occupied Zone will be in great need of warm clothing and footwear. The Federal Government will do everything in its power to alleviate distress in that respect as well. However, I should be particularly grateful if the U.S. Administration would see its way of promoting that relief program by making warm clothing, underwear, stockings and shoes available to the men, women and children in the distressed areas.
Accept, Mr. President [etc.]
- This letter, and a copy of the German original, was transmitted to Washington in despatch 604 from Bonn, Aug. 14. Because President Eisenhower’s reply was delayed until Sept. 21 (see Document 752), the Department of State requested HICOG at Bonn in telegram 813, Sept. 9, to ask Adenauer to update his letter in order “to avoid long interval between Chancellor’s letter and President’s reply.” (862B.49/8–2853) The Chancellor had agreed to date it Aug. 30.↩