Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Eastern Europe; Soviet Union; Eastern Mediterranean, Volume VIII

661.00/7–953: Telegram

No. 602
The Ambassador to the Soviet Union (Bohlen) to the Department of State¹

top secret

Paris, July 9, 1953—7 p.m.

133. What I had in mind in statement referred to Department’s 100² was that standard propaganda gestures of peace campaigns since the war exposed themselves before they had done any basic damage to Western unity and purposes, whereas recent events affecting the foreign field might forecast serious diplomatic effort on the part of Soviets to settle some outstanding questions, such as Austria and Germany, and normalization of relations with other countries while leaving intact the basic structure of Soviet Union with all its possibilities for concealing increasing military potential. Such a course of action by the Soviet Government, if it materialized, would result in making more difficult the holding together of Western alliance and maintenance leadership of the United States. If such a course of action was accompanied by serious efforts in the field of trade, judging from present indications, many European and other non-Soviet nations of the world would be inclined to neglect essential elements of national defense. In the Russian field, I believe, it has generally been felt that more flexible techniques by Soviet Government in foreign relations could, without sacrificing essential Soviet power position be more dangerous in long run than rigid, aggressive technique of Stalin regime which had since the end of the war driven home the Soviet menace to the free world. The statement in question was in the foregoing context and would not be valid if internal and satellite events since Stalin’s death lead to a radical alteration in basic structure Soviet state and its control over satellites, which it is still much too soon to predict. The danger I had in mind, of course, could be very much mitigated if the current Soviet policy was met by unity, skillful diplomacy and calmness by the three Western powers. I have dealt only with the statements referred to, but likewise would elaborate on any other part of Moscow’s 36.³

1. Transmitted via the facilities of the Embassy in Paris. Ambassador Bohlen arrived in Paris on July 8 with his family on holiday.
2. Telegram 100 requested an elaboration of the last sentence of Document 600.
3. Document 600.