Memorandum, State Department Summary of Telegrams

/ NLTCHaval Aide)326 OFFICE OF DECLASSIFIED THE SECRETARY OF STATE Dept. Guidelines, March 6, 1982 E.O. 12065, Sec. 3-402 WASHINGTON State By DEB NLT, Date 9-9-85 March 13, 1952 T OP SECRET SECURITY INF ORMA TION SUMMARY OF TELEGRAMS USSR High Commissioner McCloy reports from Bonn that West German reaction to the Soviet note on a German peace treaty appears thus far to be "gratifyingly level-headed". Most Germans have few illusions about Russia and bolshevism and are skeptical of the Soviet proposals, despite the fact that the issue to which the Kremlin directed this propaganda blast - German unity - is one on which the Germans are sensitively responsive. McCloy suggests that our reply to the Soviets should make the following points: 1) we presume that the gratifying Soviet proposals for creating an all-German Government through democratic processes mean all-German elections; 2) we have participated in creating a UN commission to examine simultaneously in the Federal Republic and the Soviet Zone the possibility of holding such elections and to report its findings to the UN; 3) we have for- - warded to the Soviet Government a Federal Republic draft law for holding such elections; 4) we are awaiting an indication from the Soviet Government that it will support these moves and hope that an answer will be in the affirma- tive; and 5) since we are serious in our desire to establish German unity as an indispensable first step toward peace, since we are interested in practical progress toward this goal, but since we see no useful end being served by encouraging Soviet exercises in sophistry such as have been wit- nessed at the Palais Rose and in the Austrian treaty negotiations, we do not propose to engage now in a discussion of the inadequacies of the Soviet pro- posals for a German peace treaty. In London Mr. Eden invited Ambassador Gifford and French Am- bassador Massigli to lunch yesterday to discuss the Soviet proposal on Germany. Eden suggested that the Council of Europe's Committee of Minis - ters meeting in Paris on March 19 would provide an excellent opportunity for the three powers in consultation with Chancellor Adenauer to decide on parallel replies to the Soviet note. He also proposed to have the Foreign Office prepare a draft reply which would be considered first at official level in London prior to the Paris meeting. Several times during the luncheon Eden indicated that he felt the fact that the Soviets sent such a note is very encour- aging, as it is firm evidence of the efficacy of our present policies and the desirability of maintaining them. T.OP SECRET SECURITY INFORMATION