Page View
Documents on Germany, 1944-1959 : background documents on Germany, 1944-1959, and a chronology of political developments affecting Berlin, 1945-1956
(1959)
Aide-mémoire from the American Embassy to the Foreign Ministry of the German Federal Republic, regarding German reunification, September 30, 1958, pp. 303-304
PDF (879.3 KB)
Page 304
304 DOCUMENTS ON GERMANY, 1944-59 The Government of the United States notes that the Government of the Federal Republic shares the desire expressed in the resolution of the German Legislature and that it hopes-that this group will study proposals concerning the re-establishment of German unity and carry out the preparatory work necessary for final negotiations to be held at a later date. The Government of the United States welcomes the initiative of the Federal Government. As the latter is aware, the German prob- lem is an important element in the proposals put forward by the Western Powers to the Soviet Government on May 28 for an agenda for a meeting of Heads of Government. The preparatory talks in Moscow for such a meeting, mentioned in the Federal Republic's Aide Memoire, have been in suspense since the end of May because of the Soviet Government's failure to reply to the Western proposal of May 31 for overcoming the procedural difficulty caused by the di- vergence in the Soviet and Western sets of agenda proposals. Addi- tional efforts to obtain a response, made by the Western Powers on July 1 and August 22, have also so far been to no avail. The Western Powers continue to hold that a summit meeting would be desirable if it would provide opportunity for serious discussions of major problems and if it would be an effective means of reaching agreement on significant subjects. The Government of the United States hopes that the Soviet Government will now reply to the, West- ern proposal so that the preparatory talks which would cover the im- portant question of Germany, may continue. At the same time, in view of the crucial importance of the settlement of the German prob- lem to the relaxation of world tensions, the Government of the United States is also prepared to discuss the German problem in a separate Four Power group to be set up in accordance with the desire of the Federal Government expressed in its Aide Memoire of September 9. The Government of the United States has constantly sought to bring about the creation of a freely-elected all-German Government which would be ti uly representative of the German people and which would conclude a peace treaty. Until such a Government is created the continued division of Germany maintains a situation in which a segment of the German people is forced to suffer the oppression of a regime imposed on it from without. For a long time, efforts to resolve German questions have been thwarted by the refusal of the Soviet Government to agree to any plan which would make reunification possible in a way which would insure the freedom of the whole German people. Once a freely- elected all-German Government truly representative of the German people has been created, it would be possible to proceed with such a Government to the conclusion of a peace treaty. The Government of the United States is informing the Soviet Government of its sup- port of the initiative of the Federal Republic and urging the Soviet Government to give it favorable consideration.
This material may be protected by copyright law (e.g., Title 17, US Code).| For information on re-use see: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/Copyright