542 Foreign Relations, 1958-1960, Volume IX



203. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in
      Austria

                                 Washington, July 23, 1960, 7:10 p.m.

    161. Your 158 and 180.1 Department deeply appreciative your han-
dling of delicate matter of Gromyko memorandum.
    If you have not already done so, you may wish make following
points to Kreisky.
    Document contains nothing new merely reiterating old Soviet "free
city" proposal for West Berlin, which is unacceptable because under
ex-
isting conditions the rights of US, UK, and France to remain in Berlin
with unhindered communications by surface and air are essential to
continued protection of freedom of West Berliners, a responsibility sol-
emnly accepted by the Three Powers and a responsibility they are reso-
lutely determined to discharge. About this there should be no doubt
whatsoever.
    Basic solution of Berlin problem can only be found in context of
German reunification. US Government remains ready to discuss Ger-
man problem at any time with Soviet Government in any appropriate
forum on the basis of any proposals genuinely designed to insure
reunification of Germany in freedom. US Government continues to re-
gard solution of all-German problem as essential to a lasting settlement
in Europe. As Austrian Foreign Minister aware, Western Powers spent
many weeks at Geneva in 1959 discussing with Soviets possible modus
vivendi on Berlin. Agreement could not be reached, the Soviet position
to date seems offer no basis for satisfactory arrangement. Lack of suc-
cess of these efforts largely due Soviet refusal meet our offer of conces-
sions with concessions on their part. If West makes concessions, Soviets
must also. And we cannot regard as concessions offer perhaps to with-
draw a few of a number of demands which were unacceptable and not
legitimate from the start.


    Source: Department of State, Central Files, 762.00/7-2060. Secret; Limit
Distribution.
Drafted by Cash in GPA on July 22; cleared with Davis, McBride, Stabler,
Hillenbrand,
Merchant, and S/S; and approved by Herter. Repeated to Berlin, Bonn, London,
Moscow,
and Paris.
    1 During Khrushchev's visit to Austria June 30-July 8 (see Documents
326 ff.),
Gromyko gave Kreisky a memorandum for Brandt which repeated the Soviet view
on Ber-
lin and reiterated the Soviet proposal for a free city guaranteed by the
United Nations.
Telegram 158 from Vienna, July 18, transmitted a translation of the memorandum.
(De-
partment of State, Central Files, 762.00/7-1860) Telegram 180 from Vienna,
July 20, re-
ported that Ambassador Matthews had discussed the memorandum with Kreisky
on that
day. Kreisky stated that he thought no opportunity should be lost to discuss
the situation
with the Soviet Union and indicated that he had passed the memorandum on
to Brandt
and Adenauer. (Ibid., 762.00/7-2060) Regarding the memorandum, see Document
207.