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Transcript of Princeton Seminar Discussion, Reel 2, Track 1
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- Parte de Dean Acheson Papers, Princeton Seminars Files
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OCR Page 1 of 1510/10/53 - Reel 2, track 1 - Page 1
MR. ACHESON: We were talking about Berlin, at George's suggestion. As I said,
the thing that impressed me was the tremendous courage of the
population of West Berlin in the face of all the doubts about the
future, the tremendous pressures that were on them. Here they were
living in the middle of all this sea of power - Communist power,
and a very large part of this, I think, was due to the spirit and
leadership of Mayor Reuter. They adored him, he was a man of
indomitable courage. I remember going %ato the City Hall, and
outside of it there were a tremendous mob of people, and their idol
was Reuter. When Reuter came out everybody cheered and shouted.
We had a dicsussion as to whether I should go into the Soviet Zone.
Max Taylor and Reuter were there. McCloy thought it was very bad;
there might be some incident or other, and he was inclined to think
I shouldn't do it. Reuter was clear that I should do it, and Max
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Taylor hadn't any doubt about it at all. He said, "You've got a
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right, haven't you? Come on, let's go." So we got into Max's car
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and the police took us up to the Brandenberg Gate and then they
pulled off to one side and Max and I, all alone in the car, into
East Berlin we went. Down about a block, and then there was a red
light and we stopped. A truck ahead of us, a truck on one side, and
one came up on the other side, and Max had his three stars and the
American flag on the front of this thing, and turned to me in this
cheery way and said to me, "Mr. Secretary, if you don't get it now,
I think you are all right." (Laughter) We didn't get it then, and,
But his spirit - the troops - whatever trouble people had with
American troops in West Germany, you didn't have any in Berlin.
There were the smartest outfits you ever saw. I remember the guard
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