Page 292

DOCUMENTS ON GERMANY, 1944-59
mention the great political issues that gravely trouble -their relations
and endanger world peace.
In spite of the arbitrary action of the Soviet Government and its
apparent unwillingness to negotiate seriously on concrete points at
issue, the Western powers do not propose to abandon hope or to relax
their efforts to seek solutions of the major outstanding problems. If
the Soviet Government is equally serious in pursing this goal, it will
accept the procedural proposal put forward by the Western powers
or advance some equally effective and workable alternative.
Note from the Soviet Deputy Foreign Minister (Kuznetsov) to
the American Ambassador (Thompson), on European Security,
July 15, 19581
[Unofficial translation]
The Soviet Government considers it necessary to address itself to
the Government of the United States of America on the following
question.
The Government of the USSR. considers- that the situation unfold-
ing on the European Continent obligates the governments of all
interested states to undertake efforts for working out joint measures
which would halt the sliding of Europe toward war and to find roads
toward the strengthening of peace on the basis of the growth of
mutual trust and the broadening of multilateral cooperation between
European states.
Both World Wars experienced by mankind were brought down first
of all on the head of the European nations. No one can deny that as
a result of these wars the greatest human sacrifices and material
losses were borne by these very countries of Europe. Tens of millions
of Europeans were killed on the field of battle, perished through the
bombing of peaceful cities, died from wounds and diseases, were tor-
tured in Fascist concentration camps. In the course of military op-
erations, many once well-built and flourishing cities and villages were
obliterated from the face of the earth, irreplaceable monuments of
culture were destroyed. At the cost for every country of those who
will not return, for every family of the losses and. incredible physical
and. moral strain, the peoples of Europe merit the right to worth-
while existence without fear of tomorrow, for themselves and for the
fate of future generations.
Today, the peoples of the European countries are again compelled
to live under the conditions of feverish military preparations, under
the threat of still a more terrible military catastrophe. T he princi-
ple of impartial cooperation in international affairs, about which not
little was said in the period of struggle with the common enemy is
far from respected by all.
It is impossible not to see that such measures as. the continuous
whipping up of the armament race, especially atomic and hydrogen,
the growth of armies and military expenditures, the, establishment of
nuclear and missile bases on foreign territories, the. transfer of this
l Department of State Bulletin, September 2.2, i955,, pp. 462-465. The, Soviet
draft
treaty on friendship and collaboration (infra) wais enclosed with this note.
The United
States replied on August 22, 1958 (infra).
.292