61. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Turkey1
25. For action by all recipient posts other than London, Paris, Bonn and Moscow. From the Secretary. Please see Foreign Minister or Acting Foreign Minister urgently and discuss following as personal representation from me about Berlin:
USG is now in midst of intensive review problems Germany and Berlin and formulation its own policy for months ahead as basis for early consultation with allied governments. Press speculation and alleged leaks to contrary, no far-reaching final decisions have been taken without consultation our allies. We consider renewed Soviet pressure on Germany and Berlin as most serious development with far-reaching implications for Western Alliance and believe we can meet our own grave responsibilities only on basis of searching examination political, military, economic and propaganda aspects of problem. We assume that other NATO Governments are giving equally serious and urgent attention to issues posed by latest Soviet actions. We expect to be in position to begin consultations by end July and hope that our allies will have made considerable progress their thinking by that time.
Regarding draft reply to Soviet aide-mémoire on Berlin, we are most anxious to make this public on Friday, July 14. Essential character our draft is that it clarifies the record and states essential agreed positions [Page 183] of West but does not attempt to make fresh proposals. Future courses of action will require intensive study by allied governments and consultations referred to above. We earnestly hope that general nature and purpose of our reply will make speedy consideration NATO Governments possible.
For Ambassador: Please impress on Foreign Minister that we consider timing of reply matter of great urgency and that we do not regard content of reply to foreclose full and detailed consultation re future course of Western handling Berlin problem. If point is raised that draft reply contains reference to consultation made by allies and that time has not been sufficient to support this statement, we could modify such language. But we do attach greatest importance to Western unity and ask help allies in handling this matter with public solidarity.
Despite NAC resistance to our proposed time schedule, please do your utmost with Foreign Minister to obtain cooperation in meeting it.
FYI only: We recognize that time required to obtain quadripartite agreement on proposed reply may stir sensitivities some governments about seeming division NATO allies between those afforded time and those not. Appreciating prestige questions involved, nevertheless US must ensure quadripartite unity and has been disappointed speed of this process. Fast consultation with many allies presents complex problem for USG. If we cannot move promptly on what is essentially a restatement of already agreed positions, it augurs badly for maintenance allied unity through consultations on future courses of action. Please do your best. End FYI.
Polto 29 to Department2 giving background of NAC discussion is being repeated all addressee posts which have not yet received.
London, Paris, Bonn—please inform Foreign Offices we are pressing for original schedule.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 762.00/7-961. Secret; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Rusk and cleared by Hillenbrand. Also sent to 10 other NATO countries and repeated to Paris, London, and Moscow.↩
- Document 59.↩