Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume XIV, Berlin Crisis, 1961–1962

268. Memorandum From President Kennedy to Secretary of State Rusk¹

Washington, January 15, 1962.

RE

• Berlin Negotiations

1. I have read Thompson’s reports of the second Gromyko-Thompson talk and I think it is time for a hard look at our next steps. I assume the Department will be preparing a third formal instruction, and clearing it with the British and Germans. But I think something more is needed.

2. Should we not pretty soon allow Thompson to open up the discussions a little more? There is a good deal in our own position that cannot be communicated if the British and Germans have to clear it first. We might ask Thompson what he would suggest as the tactics of such a two-way talk—and perhaps we ought to consider also whether Thompson himself is the right channel.

3. I also think we need to decide what to do if the next formal Gromyko-Thompson talks get nowhere. Should we move to more formal talks, or keep trying in this channel? I begin to think we may be having the disadvantages of both types of talks at present: we are unable to talk frankly to the Russians, and yet we cannot really pull our Allies into a position of responsible participation.

John Kennedy

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 762.00/1-1562. Secret; Eyes Only. Attached to the source text was a brief memorandum from Bundy to Rusk, also dated January 15, in which Bundy noted that the President’s memorandum had overtaken a longer memorandum along similar lines, which was attached for Rusk’s information.