576 Foreign Relations, 1958-1960, Volume IX



214. Memorandum of Discussion at the 460th Meeting of the
     National Security Council

                                  Washington, September 21, 1960.

    [Here follow a paragraph listing the participants at the meeting and
items 1-4.]
5.  Significant World Developments Affecting U.S. Security
    [Here follows discussion of matters unrelated to Berlin.]
    Mr. Dulles said he would next report on the situation with respect
to Berlin. In his desire to focus world attention on Berlin, Khrushchev
was permitting the East Germans to undertake a new campaign de-
signed to increase tensions over Berlin. The East Germans had imposed
restrictions on the travel of West Germans to East Berlin. However,
these restrictions had not affected commuters living in one part of Berlin
and working in another. The East German restrictions appeared to be a
step in the direction of incorporating East Berlin into East Germany by
asserting that East German laws are applicable to East Berlin and by giv-
ing the East Berlin boundary the character of a frontier. One element in
the situation is the desire of the Ulbricht regime to demonstrate the
"sovereignty" of East Germany. By concentrating measures against
the
West Germans, the Communists probably consider themselves on safer
grounds than they would occupy if they applied their restrictions to the
allies. The East Germans may also attempt to impose restriction on the
travel of West Germans to West Berlin. The Soviet commander has sup-
ported the East German position and has warned the Western Powers.
Mr. Dulles said the USSR may be considering steps to bring the East
Germans into flight clearance procedures applying to planes flying the
corridors to Berlin, so that civil airlines would be compelled to operate
without Soviet flight safety guarantees or else cease flights into Berlin.
The USSR is taking the position that the corridors to Berlin have been
established solely for the purpose of permitting the Western Allies to
resupply their forces in Berlin. Civil planes flying in the corridors have
recently been buzzed by Soviet jet fighters, one of which scored a near
miss on a U.K. plane. Apparently, the Communists are trying to make
the route too dangerous for civilian pilots to fly. Bonn is considering
countermeasures but Adenauer is anxious to avoid any rash measures
and is attempting to quiet Willy Brandt.
    The President said he had many times discussed with Adenauer
the question of what should be done in the event the East Germans,



    Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records. Top Secret. Drafted
by
Boggs.