56. Editorial Note
On May 17 Under Secretary of State Ball left Washington for a trip to Copenhagen, Stockholm, Paris, and Rome to discuss economic matters. On May 21 Secretary of State Rusk cabled him at Rome, asking him to detour from his itinerary and stop at Bonn for talks with Chancellor Adenauer. Rusk informed Ball that the primary purpose of his visit was to assist in the restoration of U.S. relations with Germany so that the broad interests which both countries had in Berlin and Europe could “be [Page 157] dealt with on their merits without confused static from Bonn.” Rusk concluded that Ball would “undoubtedly not wish to discuss details of our Berlin position” with the Chancellor, but he might make some of the points in the instructions to Dowling (Document 49). (Telegram 2863 to Rome; Department of State, Central Files, 110.11–RU/5–2162)
Ball and Dowling discussed Berlin, European integration, a NATO multilateral force, and the Common Market agricultural policy with Chancellor Adenauer on May 23. Ball stated that the President was pleased that relations between the United States and Germany had been restored to a “harmonious basis.” The Chancellor replied that he too was pleased that good relations had been restored, “adding he had been upset, not so much personally as officially,” because of the importance of the questions to be dealt with. He stated that he regarded the chapter as closed. (Telegram 2858 from Bonn, May 23; ibid., 110.11–RU/5–2362)