Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, Central and Southeastern Europe, Volume XXVI

183. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Germany¹

Washington, December 11, 1956—1:07 p.m.

1607. At recent meeting in Department with General Hodes (CG USAREUR) latter expressed view recent Soviet interferences with Berlin military trains and convoys were reflection of Soviet nervousness over their own position East Germany. He surmised Soviet authorities in Germany had probably received orders in general terms from higher up to take special precautions for security of the area and that in course implementing these orders at working level new checking procedures of past several weeks for trains and convoys had resulted. He thought Soviets not prepared push matters to point of major incident. He also considered it possible Soviet interferences might have been designed initially to test extent to which tripartite solidarity in Germany still existed after Suez crisis.

Hoover

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 762.0221/12–1156. Confidential. Drafted by Creel and cleared with Reinstein. Repeated to Berlin, London, Moscow, and Paris.