762A.00/4–2150: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Office of the United States High Commissioner for Germany, at Frankfort
2779. We have read with interest and some concern your recent tels re Adenauer’s and Schumacher’s views on Ger entry into Council of Eur and its relationship to East-West situation in Ger, particularly Bonn’s tels 149 Apr 12; 155 Apr 13; 162 Apr 14; and urtel 3179 Apr 17 from Frankfort.1 We realize of course that the views presented in certain of these tels were colored by varying interests and attitudes of persons reporting them, such as Bérard, Herwarth2 and Blankenhorn, to say nothing of Adenauer and Schumacher themselves. Despite this fact, they seem to demonstrate a growing tendency on part both [Page 632] of govt and opposition to proceed more cautiously in associating Fed Rep with Western community of nations.
Although it is obvious that the opinions expressed were to a varying degree motivated by a desire for concessions from Western Powers, the possibility that these opinions reflect a certain tendency to refrain from taking sides in East-West struggle seems sufficiently significant to warrant careful analysis on our part. Admittedly, this tendency is symptomatic of a certain amount of disillusionment with respect to part Fed Rep may play in immediate future in Western Eur, particularly Council of Eur problem. We are inclined to agree with Herwarth, however, that it probably reflects a certain lack of understanding by Gers of realities of foreign affairs in gen and East-West situation in particular. Herwarth’s comment applied particularly to Schumacher, but Adenauer’s statements wld seem to indicate that it might equally well be applied to him.
We are particularly struck by apparent shift in thinking on part of Schumacher and wld like your considered analysis of Bérard’s statement that it represented a basic strategic shift in SPD policy. We have seen no particular evidence thus far which might indicate that it represents the opinion of SPD membership in gen. We believe Bérard’s comments may be result of Fr desire not only to push Fed Rep into membership in Council of Eur but also to strengthen Adenauer’s Govt in order to avoid possibility of a Govt dominated by SPD.
Regardless of reasons behind views expressed by Adenauer and Schumacher, we consider it important to disabuse them of any notion that use of East-West situation to wring concessions from West can be productive or helpful. We agree that Gers can be said to have certain legitimate causes for complaint of late and consider it important for Western Allies to take further steps to effect their closer association with Western community, but we think it equally important for them to have no delusions about the ultimate results of any attempt on their part to use East-West situation in Ger as a bargaining weapon. This cld have only one result, namely to undermine whatever confidence may already have developed in other Western countries regarding Ger people and Govt and to create a climate which wld hardly be conducive to granting of broader powers to Fed Rep in near future.