502 Foreign Relations, 1958-1960, Volume IX



the neutrals not to accept the division of Germany, but he thought that
the Germans might be more effective in persuading some of them be-
cause of the importance of their economic relations with the Federal Re-
public. Experience with the Hallstein Document5 had been successful.
He asked whether the Germans had given any thought as to how a sepa-
rate peace treaty with the GDR would affect the Federal Republic's rela-
tions with the USSR. Dr. Carstens replied that the idea had not been
considered, and that he could not express any views. However, the Fed-
eral Republic would make its case forcibly to the USSR through diplo-
matic channels. M. Laloy said that the French had also briefed the
French Community on the German question, stressing the absence of a
real German solution rather than the question of recognition of the GDR.
The French had found that the political arguments were better under-
stood than the legal ones.
    Dr. Carstens said that he wished to raise a matter which he under-
stood President Eisenhower had mentioned during the meeting of the
Western Heads of Government,6 namely, what we would do if civilian
access to Berlin were hindered. M. Laloy replied that it had been agreed
at yesterday's Foreign Ministers' meeting7 that planning for this contin-
gency should be undertaken on an urgent basis, with attention, for ex-
ample, to the question whether there were economic counter-measures
which the Federal Republic might take. Sir Anthony Rumbold added
that the Ministers had agreed that the appropriate response would be
selective economic counter-measures, the burden of which would fall
most heavily on the Federal Republic. Dr. Carstens agreed that the pos-
sibility of economic counter-measures should be studied, but he ex-
pressed doubts about the effectiveness which they might have on the
GDR in view of the great development of the East German economy
since the blockade.
    M. Laloy said that it had been agreed that planning would be initi-
ated at Washington where the overall question of counter-measures
would be studied, but that the details regarding their application in Ger-
many would be planned at Bonn. The State Department would call the
meeting in Washington soon to get discussion of this question started.
Sir Anthony Rumbold said that the first job would probably be to deter-
mine what form harassment might take. Ambassador Grewe com-
mented that cold economic warfare against West Berlin is already going
on. For example, the GDR has blacklisted certain West Berlin firms and



    5Regarding the March 16,1959, report by Walter Hallstein on economic
cooperation
in Europe, see vol. VII, Part 1, Document 52.
    6 See Document 185.
    7See Documents 181-183.