Status of Berlin, May-December 1960 609



    USRO should consider proposing study in NATO of how burdens
of any such countermeasures might be equalized.
    Germans should consider what they can do to help NATO mem-
bers needing skilled maintenance and repairmen with parts to service
heavy machinery purchased from East Germany.
                                                            Herter








233. Memorandum of Conversation


                                          Vienna, October 15, 1960.

PARTICIPANTS
    Willy Brandt, Mayor of Berlin
    Egon Bahr, Director of the Information and Press Office of Land Berlin
    Ambassador Matthews
    Mr. Wainhouse
    Mr. Bennett
    Mr. Ewing

    At an hour's private meeting which Ambassador Matthews ar-
ranged with Mayor Brandt during the latter's visit in Vienna in connec-
tion with Berlin Week, Brandt talked about conditions in Berlin and
responded to questions regarding the possibilities in the situation there.
He began by saying that morale of the West Berliners remains high. For
all practical purpose there is full employment. As a long range problem
there is the increasing age of the population, the problem of wartime
losses having been aggravated by the emigration of many young Ber-
liners in the years immediately after the war to West Germany and else-
where. Some way must be found to attract young people back to Berlin.
    He spoke of the trade problem with East Berlin. He said that the
East Germans were already making overtures in connection with the re-
cent announcement of intention to cancel the interzonal trade agree-
ment as of January 1. He himself would be quite willing to see


    Source: Department of State, Central Files, 762.00/10-1960. Secret; Limit
Distribu-
tion. Drafted by Bennett and transmitted as an enclosure to despatch 391
from Vienna,
October 19. The conversation took place at the U.S. Ambassador's Residence.