564 Foreign Relations, 1958-1960, Volume IX



210. Memorandum of Conversation


                                    Washington, September 9, 1960.

SUBJECT
    Possible Discussion of Germany and Berlin at Forthcoming Session of United
      Nations General Assembly
PARTICIPANTS
    German Ambassador Wilhelm G. Grewe
    Dr. Swidbert Schnippenkoetter, Counselor, German Embassy
    The Secretary
    Assistant Secretary Foy D. Kohler
    Mr. Martin J. Hillenbrand, GER

    Ambassador Grewe began by noting that the events of the past
week gave heightened substantive importance to the discussion be-
tween Foreign Minister von Brentano and the Secretary scheduled to
take place on September 18. He went on to say that his Government was
seriously concerned about recent Berlin developments. Most of the har-
assments so far have not been very large in themselves, but they were
creating anxiety and might be the beginning of new and more dramatic
moves by the Soviets starting with Khrushchev's appearance in the UN.
Rumors were being spread by the Soviets in Vienna and Moscow indi-
cating that they intended to raise the Berlin question in the GA. The Ger-
man Government felt that the situation was becoming more dangerous
and difficult. It was considering what kind of countermeasures could be
contemplated and how to proceed in invoking them.
    The Federal Republic was, of course, not represented in the UN,
Ambassador Grewe continued. He assumed that there would be tripar-
tite coordination of positions relating to Germany and Berlin. His Gov-
ernment would like to be fully informed and brought into these
consultations where appropriate.
    The Secretary said that we have had no direct indication that
Khrushchev is going to bring up the Berlin problem in the GA. Mr. Koh-
ler added that we have been rather skeptical about reports that the Sovi-
ets would do this. We did not envisage that a formal agenda item
relating to Berlin would be inscribed. It might be anticipated that they
would attack the Federal Republic in speeches for rearming and for
its militaristic intentions. Instead, we anticipated harassments of the


    Source: Department of State, Central Files, 320/9-960. Secret. Drafted
by Hil-
lenbrand, initialed by Kohler, and approved in S on September 15. A 3-page
briefing
memorandum for this meeting, dated September 8 and drafted by Kohler, is
ibid.,
611.62A/9-860.