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DOCUMENTS ON\ GERMANY, 1944-59
a copy of the reply which it has returned to the Government of the
Federal Republic of Germany.
The Government of the United States attaches great importance
to the reunification of Germany, which is a basic objective of its
policy. It is convinced that the continued division of Germany miust
be brought to an end in the interests not only of the Germans them-
selves but of all nations anxious to safeguard the peace of Europe.
The Governments of France, the United Kingdom, the Union, of
Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States have on various
occasions acknowledged their responsibility for bringing about the re-
unification of Germany, and agreed in the directive given by the
Heads of Government of the Four Powers to their Foreign Ministers
in July 1955 to carry out: this responsibility. No progress has been
made since then. The detailed proposals put forward by the West-
ern Powers at the subsequent Foreign Ministers' Conference, which
were designed both to end the division of Germany and to establish
;a firm system of European security, have met with no affirmative
response from the Soviet Union.
The Government of the United States therefore hopes that the
Soviet Government will give careful consideration to the German
memorandum and will, in response to the initiative taken by! the
Federal Government, state its view as to how effect can be given to
the agreement made by the four Heads of Government at Geneva to
restore German unity by means of free elections.
Communique on Talks Between Foreign Minister von Brentano
and Secretary of State Dulles, Regarding German Reunification
and European Security, March 5,19571
Foreign Minister Heinrich von Brentano of the Federal Republic
of Germany and Secretary of State Dulles today concluded the offi-
cial talks which they have held during the Foreign Minister's cur-
rent visit to Washington.
These talks covered a broad range of current world problems of
mutual concern to both governments and afforded an opportunity
for a full and frank exchange of views. Particular attention was
devoted to an assessment of the general political situation in the light
of recent developments in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. The
talks have served to emphasize and reinforce the community of in-
terest and the harmony of views which exist between the two govern-
ments with regard to the problems confronting them.
The Foreign Minister and the Secretary of State reaffirmed that
the reunification of Germany in freedom remains a fundamental ob-
jective of the policies of their governments. They were in agreement
that recent developments in Eastern Europe have served to emphasize
the urgent necessity for a solution of the problem of German reuni-
fication in the absence of which there can be, no permanent settle-
ment in Europe or any lasting stability. They expressed the hope
that the Soviet Union would come to realize that it is in its own
interest that there be a just solution of this problem. They notedthat
a study of the problem of German reunification and its relationship
to European security is being undertaken in Washington by experts
1 Department of State press release 114, March 5, 1957.
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