Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume XXIX, Eastern Europe; Eastern Mediterranean, 1969–1972

36. Telegram From the Embassy in Germany to the Department of State¹

Bonn, June 3, 1970, 1700Z.

6296. Subject: German reaction to RFE: Pommereningʼs interview with RFE Director Walter.

1. In a move approved by FonMin Scheel, Pommerening and RFE Director Ralph Walter met in Bonn May 20 to discuss Polish and other Eastern European protests against RFE. On June 2, Pommerening gave the DCM the following frank evaluation of his talk with Walter.

2. Pommerening said that, speaking quite honestly, he did not find Walterʼs response satisfactory. He said that a more cooperative response from RFE was necessary to head off what he feared could become a very serious problem. He said that RFE broadcasts confined to facts present no problem. The difficulty is that the tone of RFE broadcasts is at times unfortunate and inflammatory. He cited one particular case in a broadcast to Poland in which RFE urged voters in a local election not to vote for a certain candidate, known as a hard-line Stalinist. Pommerening made a sharp distinction between RFE and Radio Liberty, with which there was no problem.

3. Pommerening then said that protests from Eastern European countries are beginning to mount. They have now had protests in one form or another from Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania. Recently they have received an official protest from the Hungarians. Furthermore, the Hungarians have let the FRG know that RFE might pose a threat to the Olympic Games. There could, for example, develop a common Eastern Bloc position boycotting the 1972 Olympics in Munich unless RFE was removed from Germany. Pommerening said he felt that such a development could lead to very unfortunate pressures in the FRG and especially in the Munich area, with irresistible public clamor to remove RFE so as not to jeopardize the 1972 Olympics. Pommerening said the FRG wanted at all costs to avoid this kind of situation.

4. He added that the situation was made even more difficult by the fact that the Poles over the last six months, based on the FRGʼs analysis, have conspicuously toned down their propaganda attacks on the FRG. This makes it much more difficult for the FRG to counter Polish protests by saying that they after all are doing the same thing.

5. Pommerening said that the Foreign Office had prepared a paper for the Minister stressing the gravity of the RFE problem, particularly in the context of US-German relations. The paper pointed out that RFE was supported by private Americans, many of whom are very influential and play key behind-the-scenes role in the US Government. It would be most unfortunate if these people, many of whom are also strong friends of the FRG, were antagonized and given the impression that the FRG was “selling out” to the Communist Bloc. At the same time, the paper points out, mounting Bloc protests against RFE can, especially because of the Olympics, lead to irresistible pressures to remove RFE from Germany, with “VOA left to do the job” as he put it. The argument will be made that RFE is after all a private company with a questionable status which was acquired back in the occupation days. The paper therefore urges strongly that, to avoid a serious situation in US–FRG relations, RFE be urged to be cooperative in modifying its broadcasting to the maximum extent possible.

6. Comment: We consider the RFE situation to be serious. The paper Pommerening referred to is undoubtedly going to Brandt in the near future. We also know from his staff that Minister Ehmke is directly interested. The RFE problem is therefore likely to come to a head at the top levels of the German Government in the near future. It is urgent, in our view, that action be taken as soon as possible on our side. If the Germans are forced into a position where they feel they must demand the removal of RFE (which is the way things are now going), the result can be a confrontation with resultant strains on US-German relations. We strongly hope this can be avoided and that RFE can continue to operate on German soil.

7. To deal with the problem, we believe that an appropriate high-level representative should be prepared to come to Bonn from the US as soon as possible. Such a representative should be empowered to give the Germans sufficient assurances of modifications in RFEʼs approach to enable them to counter Eastern European pressures. We are convinced that there are forces on the German side (like Pommerening himself) who want to retain RFE; our job is to give these forces the necessary ammunition.

8. Department requested to repeat this message to other appropriate posts including Munich for Doherty and to make it available to all interested parties in the US, including Durkee in New York.

Rush

1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 379, Subject Files, Radio Free Europe & Radio Liberty, Vol. I. Secret; Priority; Exdis.