124. Editorial Note
On September 28 Secretary of Defense McNamara, who had just returned to Washington from a 2-day inspection trip in West Germany, stated at a press conference that the Berlin situation, in military terms, was the most severe since actual combat operations during the Korean war. McNamara then stated that Khrushchev’s insistence on a peace treaty with East Germany and the consequent restriction of U.S. rights in Berlin made the situation critical. To be sure that there were no illusions in the Soviet Union, McNamara noted the United States would “utilize whatever weapons are needed to preserve our vital interests. Quite clearly, we consider access to Berlin a vital interest.” For extracts from the press conference, see The New York Times, September 29, 1962.