Memorandum, State Department Summary of Telegrams

the OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE WASHINGTON DECLASSIFIED E.O. 12065, Sec. 3-402 February 16, 1951 State Dept. Guidelines, March 6, 1982 By DEB NLT, Date 9-4-8 SECRE T SUMMARY OF TELEGRAMS USSR In commenting on a report of February 12 from Embassy Paris regarding possible Soviet diplomatic action to be pursued in the absence of Western conces- sions on Germany, including the possibility of the rupture by Poland and Czechoslovakia of diplomatic relations with the West, Embassy Prague states that the Paris report is the first it has heard of this matter. The Embassy assumes that a decision of that character regarding Czecho- slovakia would in fact originate with the Kremlin, and that the most that can be said now is that if a rupture is planned, Czech behavior would probably be approximately as it has been recently, when it has been characterized by 1) public and bitter denunciations of the US by three cabinet ministers and the Secretary General of the Slovak Communist Party; 2) increased police surveillance and harassment of Embassy per- sonnel including harsh measures against Czech employees; and 3) violent reaction and intemperate charges regarding US aircraft over - flights, and alleged espionage. In connection with the overflight problem, we have been informed by our representatives in Frankfort that three US jet aircraft did inadvertently and unintentionally overfly Czech territory on February 7. These planes were lost in bad weather and two of the three later crash landed in Germany. MEETING OF Embassy London has been informed that the FOREIGN MINISTERS text of the proposed reply to the Soviet note of February 5 prepared by the Washington tripartite working party was approved by the British Cabinet yesterday subject to minor drafting changes. SPAIN With regard to the steps which are to be taken by our Ambassador in Madrid to ex- plore the willingness of the Spanish Government to cooperate in common defense against Communist aggression, our Embassy in Paris remarks that while it applauds this decision, it wonders whether it is judicious also to inform the Spanish Government that "we are ready to assist in helping develop closer relations between Spain and other NATO countries. "