634 Foreign Relations, 1958-1960, Volume IX



would be strongly opposed to any significant reduction in the number
of U.S. forces stationed in Germany, until there is some indication of
change in the Soviet position regarding security and reunification.
    8. Proponents of German neutralization have argued that the Sovi-
ets will agree to reunification only upon terms which guarantee the neu-
tralization of a unified Germany, and that the West Germans themselves
may eventually accept a neutralized status outside NATO in order to
achieve unification. They also argue that neutralization is not too heavy
a price to pay for Soviet withdrawal from East Germany (and possibly
other Satellites) and the diminution of the considerable dangers to peace
inherent in the present division of Germany, the isolation of Berlin, and
the confrontation of large hostile forces in Central Europe.
    9. The United States has maintained that the neutralization of Ger-
many is not acceptable under present conditions for the following rea-
sons:

    a. West German military association with Western Europe is very
important to strengthen NATO capabilities in Europe.
    b. Financial and political considerations probably would militate
against relocation elsewhere in Europe of NATO forces withdrawn
from West Germany, and might lead therefore to sizeable force with-
drawals from the Continent.
    c. A neutralized Germany would have such different political in-
terests from those of the NATO allies that it would not participate fully
in the efforts to achieve greater Western European integration. Without
such German participation, Western European integration is not likely
to progress far enough to enable Western Europe to achieve the strength
and prosperity which would best assure its in ependence over the long
run.
    d. As long as Western Europeans continue to feel that their secu-
rity depends on U.S. participation in a strong NATO alliance, a unilat-
eral U.S. proposal for neutralization would undermine the present West
German Government and ties with the West as well as the support of
other European Governments for NATO. Efforts to obtain the agree-
ment of our NATO allies to such a proposal would run serious risk of
having the same results.

    The Relationship of the Federal Republic to the Western Community
    10. The participation of the German Federal Republic in a strong
and effectively integrated Western European Community is essential if
Western Europe is to realize its maximum potential as a counterweight
to Soviet power. The success of the Community may likewise have a de-
cisive bearing upon the completeness and dependability of West Ger-
many's association with the West. West German participation in an
effective Western Community constitutes the best guarantee that West
German strength will be used constructively, rather than independ-
ently, for the achievement of narrow nationalistic aims.