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

24. Telegram From Secretary of State Rusk to the Department of State⁰

Geneva, March 25, 1962, 11 a.m.

Secto 104. Eyes only President and Acting Secretary. No Other Distribution. On Soviet initiative Semenov and colleagues saw Kohler and Bohlen Saturday afternoon for further discussion modus vivendi paper.¹ Further talks same group taking place Sunday morning. While there is no specific indication of any Soviet change on points of substance they showed considerable interest in our present approach. There is still some apparent confusion in their minds between (a) reaching agreement on points of substance and (b) determining how to deal with the fact of disagreement without moving toward crisis. Presumption is I will see Gromyko perhaps Monday for further talk on basis preliminary exploration by experts. While we could be proved wrong within hours, our present impression is that they do seem to wish to keep things open at Geneva to avoid a break here, possibly with summit in mind. While Gromyko has not mentioned summit on his initiative, I did remark to him that our modus vivendi paper was an effort to envisage what Chiefs of Government could come out with if they should discuss Berlin.

On Saturday Semenov was seeking clarification number of points probably at Moscow’s request. There is no doubt but that Gromyko is in contact with Moscow and is not merely handling question on basis instructions with which he departed for Geneva. Will report promptly on Sunday’s conversation.²

Still tentatively planning leave here late Monday or more probably Tuesday. However, I would not wish to leave if there is possibility of moving Berlin matter by another two or three days. Will communicate with you prior to any announcement my departure.

Rusk

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 762.00/3–2562. Secret; Niact. Passed to the White House. According to another copy, this telegram was drafted by Rusk and concurred in by Thompson, Kohler, and Bohlen. (Ibid., Rusk Files: Lot 72 D 193, Chron)
1. A 17-page memorandum of this conversation (SecDel MC/52) is ibid., Central Files, 762.00/3–2462.
2. At 8 p.m. on March 25 Rusk reported that the Sunday morning session had produced no appreciable change in the Soviet position except that the Soviet paper on access was not necessarily conditioned on withdrawal of Western forces from Berlin. (Secto 106 from Geneva; ibid., 110.11–RU/3–2562) A 14-page memorandum of this second conversation (SecDel MC/51) is ibid., 762.00/3–2562.