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

862B.49/10–1253: Telegram

No. 756
The Director of the Berlin Element, HICOG (Lyon) to the Office of the United States High Commissioner for Germany, at Bonn¹

secret

Berlin, October 12, 1953—3 p.m.

509. From EAD. Reference Deptel 7 October sent Bonn 1134, repeated information Berlin 236.²

Appreciation of East Germans for generous US aid in form free food has been genuine. Nevertheless, our analysis East German attitudes, particularly workers, since June 17 leads us to firm conclusion they look primarily for political actions from West on diplomatic level as significant sign that West is not letting them down, is properly assessing significance their action June 17 and recognizes what they can do in future to sustain type of resistance which in their opinion can effectively weaken position SED and Soviet in GDR. (See Berlin’s EAD telegram August 6 sent Bonn 211, repeated Department 188³ and Section B, Part IV and Sections A and B, Part VI EAD paper submitted under cover despatch 217, September 25.⁴) Their primary demands are political in nature revolving around removal present Grotewohl–Ulbricht government and liberation from Soviet-Communist domination through unification. While appreciative of aid which helps sustain their health, they do not want it in dramatic form which strengthens SED power organs and in effect hinders successful political action on highest level which they consider only means achieving liberation from oppression.

Foregoing analysis East German attitudes clearly illustrated by reliable report from trusted EAD source to effect East German workers have no sympathy for colleagues who lost jobs due to picking up food packages in Berlin. On this subject opinion of workers reported to have crystallized into conviction their efforts should be channeled into cooperative joint action within factories to slow down production and thereby bring political pressure upon government. Trips by individual workers to Berlin to pick up food packages regarded as tantamount placing individual interest above group interest and assisting SED organs break up effectiveness organized worker opposition.

In view above, we question reasoning contained numbered paragraph 4, reference Department telegram re attitudes East Germans on nature of actions required by West to prevent their disillusionment and to sustain their courage and effective resistance against present Communist efforts re-establish effective SED party position of power and control.

Lyon

1. Repeated to Washington and Moscow; the source text is the copy in Department of State files.
2. Telegram 7 approved a HICOG recommendation to delay the termination of the food parcel program from Oct. 3 to Oct. 10, when it was actually ended. It also advocated seizing “all reasonable opportunities” to resume aid to residents of the German Democratic Republic in order to keep alive the spirit of resistance. (862B.49/10–253)
3. Telegram 188 maintained that violent resistance by the workers was no longer a viable alternative in weakening the regime in the German Democratic Republic. (762B.00/8–653)
4. Under reference is a HICOG briefing paper intended for use by Conant at the Vienna chiefs of mission meeting, Sept. 22–24 (see Document 750). Twenty-three pages in length, it consisted of a summary of events in the German Democratic Republic since June 16 and an analysis of the implications of these events for U.S. policy toward Germany and the Soviet Union. (762B.00/9–2553)