Office of the Historian

134. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the Soviet Union1

Washington, October 29, 1956—2:53 p.m.

510. Personal for Ambassador from Secretary. I call your attention to following language from my Saturday night speech at Dallas:2

“The US has no ulterior purpose in desiring the independence of the satellite countries. Our unadulterated wish is that these peoples, from whom so much of our own national life derives, should have sovereignty restored to them, and that they should have governments of their own free choosing. We do not look upon these nations as potential military allies. We see them as friends and as part of a new and friendly and no longer divided Europe. We are confident that their independence, if promptly accorded, will contribute immensely to stabilize peace throughout all of Europe, West and East.”

This paragraph resulted from intensive consideration here at highest level.3

We would like this to come to attention of highest Soviet authorities, including Zhukov, and to know that they appreciate it is a high level policy statement.

Please use your discretion as to when and how to bring this about.4

You might also at same time recall proposal for a “treaty of assurance” which was proposed by Western Powers and Federal Republic in connection with German reunification and indicate that so far as US is concerned such proposal still stands.

It is of course highly important that nothing done under this authorization should emerge publicly as a démarche attributable to Washington.

Dulles
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.00/10–2956. Top Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution. Drafted and approved by Dulles. The Secretary cleared this message orally with the President over the telephone at 8 a.m., October 29. (Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, White House Telephone Conversations)↩
  2. See Document 128.↩
  3. The original draft stated “including that of President himself” instead of “at highest level.”↩
  4. At this point in the original draft, Dulles had written the following: “You may, at your discretion, use orally the President’s name.”↩