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CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS CONCERNING THE BERLIN SITUATIONSINCE 27 JUNE 1961*

LateMay

28 May In a speech at Freiburg, Saxony, the authoritativeEast German radio commentator Karl Eduard vonSchnitzler said that, at the moment the GDR con-cludes a peace treaty with the USSR, the Sovietcontroller will walk out of the Berlin Air SafetyCenter in West Berlin. If West Germany and theAllied powers do not accept an East German con-troller, " mn ar traffic to Berlin would bepossible."

Several items of informat ion dealing withoccurrences prior to 27 June that were notavailable for inclusion in Berlin Report dated27 June have been added to this chronology.

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EarlyJune er eaves

or mem ers - eve ar rlin centraldistrict were cancelled on the grounds that theinternational situation is such that all party

fIealcaare required to remain at their posts.[similar instructions were

sent out to all the igner level SED party oreani-tions in East Berlin.

J-9 SovietJune ars as a novs yan Grecko me a dam

with Ulbricht, Acting Premier Willi Stoph, KarlMaron, General Hoffman and the East Berlin prefectof police to discuss measures to be implemented inorder to effect a blockade of West Berlin. Dis-position of air defense units and anti-aircraftmissiles to interfer with Allied air access re-portedly were discussed, and plans were laid fora mil.itary alert along the Zonal frontier. Plansfor putting East German and Soviet fighter planesin the air corridors to block Western flightsreportedly were also discussed, and there was somemention of mobilizing Warsaw Pact forces--includingthe Czechs and Pole -- asome nt in the buildupof a Berlin crisis.

17 Jun At a Bonn "Day of German Unity" rally, Adenauerreaffirmed his 1957 joint declaration with PresidentEisenhower that reunification would not be used toachieve military advantage and that the US andFederal Republic were prepared to enter a Europeansecurity arrangement which would provideassurancesof non-aggression to the Soviet Union.

19 Jun Meetings of the SPD executive council and electioncampaign leadership reportedly revealed divergentopinion on Western countermeasures to the Sovietpressures on Berlin. Brandt's proposal that theSPD councils lay some groundwork for Berlin nego-tiations was rejected by Deputy Chairman Wehner,in the interests of election campaign strategy.The SPD leadership is said to have agreed thatthe party should make no public proposals for ne-gotiations lest they invite Adenauer to attack SPD"weakness." Party chairman Ollenhauer reportedlystated that the Berlin crisis might cause PresidentLuebke to try for mAntof-Ahe]l7 Septembernational election.

Mid- __USSR Presi-June dent Brezhnev told a group of Greek Communists

visiting Moscow that there will be no war, thatthe USSR will sign a separate treaty, that therewill be'"free elections" and Berlin will become aself-governing city and that the Soviets graduallywill turn over access controls to the GDR. Brezhnevreportedly told the Greeks that free elections atthe present time would result in the'election ofWestern-oriented candidates; however, he said,signature of a separate peace treaty would forcethe West to deal with the GDR--even though Moscowwould not suddenly relinquish controls to the EastGermans ad thus nermittheWest to nrovokeconflict.

20 Jun A decree scheduled to go into effect 1 August,published in the official East German gazette, theGesetzblatt, #36, made it compulsory for foreignaircraft to register with a GDR air safety center

on entering or leaving the state's territory.The text of the decree provides that foreignaircraft are permitted to use radio equipmentin the GDR "if this rests on reciprocity or iscalled for by agreements." Where neither isapplicable, aircraft must obtain permission ofthe Ministry of Post and Communications to operateradios in GDR airspace. Radio communications musthe1m d to messages involving flight safety.

An American correspondent, married to a formerSoviet citizen and a regular visitor to the USSR,told the US Embassy in Moscow that his in-laws weremore pessimistic than usual about the internationalsituation and feel that the danger of war has in-creased. He also reported speculation that currentshortages of foodstuffs, particularly milk and meat,can b arced o stockpiling by the Soviet govern-ment.

21-27 3,021 refugees, including 510 young men of militaryJune" age, were processed at Marienfelde--an increase of

42 over the preceding week and 709 more than duringthe corresponding week of 1960, when East Germanfarmers were fleeing collectivization.

22 Jun atsome time during its plenum o 2 June, the zechcentral committee met with Prague journalists toinform them that the USSR will sign a separate peacetreaty with BEastaGerman and seal off Berlin inSeptember.

West German Foreign Ministry Under-Secretary Carstenstold a number of correspondents hata separate peace treaty would constu a v o ationby the Soviets of the Potsdam Agreement, of the"principle of international law" of self-determina-tion, and of the directives of the 1955 GenevaConference. He emphasized that an earlier statementby a government press spokesman to the effect thatthe GDR, as a puppet, could sign a treaty with USSRwas false and a "bad mistake." He also said thetreaty would be valid only if negotiated and signedby all former belligerents, and that it should bemade clear to the USSR that a separate treaty isunacceptable to the West which is prepared to con-sider a wide range of diplomatic, political,

economic and military countermeasures. He noted,however, that the possibility of severing diplomaticrelations between Bonn and Moscow in retaliationfor a separate treaty "had been abandoned." Hethought a partial or total trade embargo possible,although it would work only if the West were " rand considered any appeal to the UN useless.

The Soviet controller at the Berlin Air SafetyCenter (BASC) protested that an American C-47 ona local flight was overflying Oranienberg airfieldat 100 meters, interfering with flights, and re-quested corrective action. The US Mission concludedafter investigation that the C-47 had not violatedquadripa -itesafet rules and so notified theSoviets.

a ere exists in his office thepress on at Defense Minister Strauss is pro-

foundly "depressed" over the recent turn of events,even though in public appearanctes Strauss has beenhis usual ebullient self.suggested Strauss acts like a man with a "fee ngof impending crisis," which is something quitedifferent from his former confidence ietswere unwilling to take great risks.also implied that Adenauer's optimism followingthe Vienna talks may have been more apparent thanreal.

Analysis confirmed twoadditional GSFG SAM sites at d Dessau inEast Germany (total now 12).

23 Junin Copenhagen noted indications that

loca " g evel" discussion of the Berlin problemhad included speculation that the West might "live"with a Soviet-East German peace treaty, providedthat the GDR refrained from impeding access to ortravel within Berlin and recognized other Westernrights within the city. The Embassy's impressionwas somewhat strengthened by a 24 June editorialin usually well-informed newspaper Information--occasionally used to float trsia balloons--whichadvocated that the Western powers consider themerits of negotiating the issue of Berlin andseize the initiative by presenting Khrushchev withnew proposals, possibl long the line suggestedby Senator Mansfield.

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24 Jun The West Berlin Senat informed the Western powersthe Berlin Chapter of the Expellees' Federationplans to hold its annual observance of "Tag derHeimat" in West Berlin on 1-3 September, causingUS Mission Berlin to note that the GDR may again,as in 1960 attem t to restrict West German accessto Berlin.

24-25 Dr. Alfons Dalma, deputy editor-in-chief of the pro-June Adenauer Muenchner Merkur and a good friend of

Defense Minister Strauss, argued in a publishedarticle that a nuclear retaliatory capacity forthe Federal Republic and covert agitation directedagainst the GDR are two means by which the Westcould drushchev from provoking a Berlincrisis.

25-Jun CBS correspondent Daniel Schor reported from Berlinthat Communist sources had alerted him to "an im-portant move early in September," when it is be-lieved the East German regime will clamp permanent,rigid controls on the sector borders to preventEast Germans and nationals of other East Europeancountries from entering West Berlin. Schor reportedthat the pretext for the clampdown will be the 1-3September refugee rally in West Berlin --which lastyear resulted in a "baby blockade."

26 Jun In a speech at Buna, Ulbricht charged that SecretaryRusk had "let the cat out of the bag" by acknowledgingat a press conference that US interests in Berlin aredirectly related to "US national interest." Ulbrichtretorted that if US interests warrant the maintenanceof RIAS in West Berlin, then East German interestsdemand the establishment of a GDR radio in Washington.Ulbricht challenged the Secretary's statement thatthe US had concluded a treaty with Japan becausethe latter had a "representative government," ar-guing that the Japanese Government "represents onlyfinance capital." He contested what he said wereUS efforts to act as an arbiter of International Lawand to determine what constitutes "representativegovernment," sarcastically referring to the factthat the US recognizes the governments of "Fascist"Spain and Portugal and "semi-feudal" Iran as "repre-sentative." Ulbricht also said that the "peacetreaty will have such content that it can apply to

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all of Germany, i.e., that thereby the West GermanFederal Republic can have the possibility of at-taching itself to this treaty later on." He alsonoted that the GDR would apply for admission tothe United Nations immediately after conclusion ofthe treaty.

28 Jun Khrushchev's speech at a Moscow rally in honor of theNorth Vietnamese premier contained the usual mixtureof threats and inducements which he still hopes willbring the West to make concessions on Berlin andGermany at the bargaining table. He served noticethat urgings of Western "hotheads"-for mobilizationand other military measures will not deter the USSRfrom signing a separate peace treaty with EastGermany and warned that Moscow is "taking the neces-sary measures" to counter any Western moves to de-clare a mobilization. Khrushchev, on the other hand,complained that the West is distorting his proposalson Berlin and Germany and stressed his readiness toreopen negotiations. He contended Soviet proposalswould protect West Berlin's right to choose its ownsocial and economic system under internationalguarantees. He also sought to minimize the conse-quences of a separate treaty by again stating "therewill be no blockade of West Berlin of any kind" andno "restrictions" on access, provided that interestedpowers reach an agreement with East Germany.Khrushchev also hinted that a second meeting withPresident Kennedy might be "useful," although hedidnot link this directly to the Berlin question.

In reply to a parliamentary question, Prime MinisterMacmillan reiterated "we and our allies have certainobligations in Germany and we do not intend to abandonthem. Among these obligations is the preservationof the freedom of the people of West Berlin. TheSoviet Government must come to realize that we intendto defend this and that we cannot countenance pro-posals inconsistent with it."

Bundestag deputy Fritz Erler, the SPD leadership'smilitary affairs expert, told General Norstad thatthere is a growing consensus in the SPD and CDU thatin the event of interference with non-military trafficto West Berlin Bonn should immediately sever economicties with the GDR and subsequently--if necessary--with

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the USSR. He also indicated that the government ofthe Federal Republic is leaning toward the idea ofa Berlin airlift--if only to buy time for negotia-tions--and cited a blockade of Soviet shipping inthe Baltic as a last resort. Erler predicted thatneither Bonn nor West Berlin would object to thedevelopment by the West of a flexible and wide-ranging tactical approach to the Berlin problem,so long as the tenet oGerman- reunification wasnot jeopardized. WAmbassador Dowling reported that working-levelofficials of the West German government regardfinancial-commercial countermeasures as the FederalRepublic's trump card in the event of a Berlin crisisbut feel it should be played only in the case of"serious provocation," such as a denial of civilianaccess, and not with the "mere conclusion" of aseparate East German peace treaty. The officialswere also said to argue that credit and tradecutoffs cannot be effective unless the NATO Alliesparticipate.

Forster of the West German Foreign Office told theUS, French and British Enbassies in Bonn that MayorBrandt wrote Bundesrat President Meyers on 27 June,urging that the Bundesrat hold a session in Berlinbefore the close of the legislative period whichended .on 14 July. Brandt told Meyers that heappreciated the fact that Foreign Minister Brentanodid not agree with his view, but argued that thepossibility of a Berlin meeting of the Bundesrathad been in "the public arena" since April and failureto hold it would suggest to the East Germans thatthe West was succumbing to Communist pressures.

28-30June

28 Jun- 3,714 refugees, including 609 military-age males,4 July were processed at Marienfelde during the week of

28 June - 4 July--693 more than during the pretiousweek and 1,262 more than the corresponding week of

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1960. The Federal Refugee Ministry in Bonn registered17,791 refugees during the month of May, and 19,198in June. A total of 103,159 registered during thefirst six months of 196 88.506 had registered bythe same time last year.

29 Jun In a 3-hour interview with American writer Leon Uris,East German agitprop boss Gerhard Eisler banged onthe table and vehemently denounced the Radio In theAmerican Sector (RIAS), shouting "RIAB must go!"Pressed by Uris for some explanation, Xisler: con-ceded that RIAS was the "most effective Alliedinstrument in West Berlin" and complained that ithas forced East German authorities against theirwill to _eyeal a great number of developments inthe GDR.

Couve de Muirville told Ambassador Gavin thAt, inaddition to impressing the FIN of France's determi-nation to solve the Algerian problem, the DeGaullegovernment hopes that the recall in mid-July of the11th Infantry Division from Algeria to Lorrainewould evidence their concern over the Berlin situa-tion. The 11th Division will constitute France'scontribution to the contingency planning forceavailable for use in the area of Berlin.

West German interzonal trade chief Leopold told theBerlin Mission that he does not feel GDR tradepolicies reflect any expectation of a Berlin crisisin 1961. Although he found disturbing the paucityof long-term purchases through interzonal trade,Leopold minimized the extent to which the GD hasshifted ikade'.ota, Western European countries.

30 Jun Bundestag President Gerstenmaier presented a formalbi-partisan declaration favoring negotiations leadingto a peace treaty based on self-determination by allGermans. Rejecting Moscow's proposal for talks be-tween East and West Germany, the statement called fornegotiations which would "predetermine" the militaryand political status of a reunited Germany andpledged that West Germany would give any masonableguarantee that a reunified Germany would "areliable partner of all their neighbors." _

got the impression thatboth were concerned about the Berlin situation. In

reply to a question from admittedto feeling discouraged and depressed, at wich shereplied without elaboratin that it is necessary tobe "sensible."

30 Jun-1 July urged

Tne west to Degin as soon as possDi e a peacefulcounteroffensive," rather than relying solely upontechnical-military preparations to meet the threatof bloc action against Berlin. He claimed to haveinformation that neither the Soviets nor the EastGermans intend significant military action. Herevealed his plan to propose that the West calla peace conference on Germany.that the Soviets would welcome a Western proposalto discuss the military status of a reunited Germanyand remarked that it was his impression that Washing-ton was prepared to discuss several aspects of theGerman question.

1-2 July In reply to a question allegedly submitted tothe editors of Junge Welt, GDR agitprop SpecialstGerhard Eisler denied that the Ulbricht regimeplans to use force to expell the Western powersfrom Berlin if they refuse to sign a peace treaty."No one has considered this and no one thinks ofit." But, he warned, "despite our peaceful spiritand our warm desire to come to an understanding...under no circumstance will we tolerate a disre-gard of our sovereignty or threats against theomR and an attack by water, land or in the air."

2 July A US Military Liaison Mission officer and driverwere detained, harangued, photographed, denouncedin front of troops as "spies" who "should behanged" and had their papers confiscated by aSoviet colonel near a non-restricted assemblypoint at Belzig in East Germany. The chief ofthe Soviet External Relations Branch (SERB),anticipating a protest from the Chief USMLM,requested the latter to call on 4 July. Duringtheir 2' hour meeting the SERB chief saidthat the next time an American officer wasapprehended in any improper activity, he wouldorder the offender held on the spot until heand the Chief USMLM could arrive on the sceneto investigate--a new procedure, if implemented.

Adenauer cautioned against interpreting theGerstenmaier declaration "too extensively,"indicating the Chancellor's displeasure withthe 30 June "bipartisan" statement--expeciallywith the implication that it represented a com-mon foreign policy between the CDU and Brandts'Socialists. Foreign ministry officials also ob-jected to the declaration--especially its sug-gestion that the political and military statusof a reunited Germany be determined by the FourPowers, thus resulting in an inferior status andmilitary limitations--on grounds that it had notbeen cleared with them and d d not reflect "of-ficial" West German policy.

Berliner Zeitung, the party daily in East Berlin,commented that "we don't think anything, any-thing at all" of Senator Mansfield's Berlin

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proposals. "We cannot allow anyone to meddle inthe affairs of our state, and consequently wecannot let anyone detach our capital from thebody politic."

3 July The Canadian Ambassador told Ambassador Thompsonthat, during a National Day reception at hisembassy, Furtseva replied to a statement of hisexpressing some concern over Berlin by sayingthat it is necessarytosttlehe oblem thisyear or next year.

In a report to the party central committee,published on 9 July, politburo member and party -secretary Erich Honecker said that the GDRmust adjust its economic plans even though this"will burden our development for some time."The report hints at hard-line measures to counterthe continued shortages of quality food, inade-quate supplies of industrial raw materials, anda lag in the rate of growth of industrial pro-duction. In addition, it may be necessary forthe bloc to underwrite the East German economyfor some time if a treaty results in Westernrestrictions on trade with East Germany. Theeconomy, he revealed, has not been able toachieve even the reduced rate of growth setfor 1961.

The day after posters advertising the Kirchentagwere posted on East Berlin church bulletin boards,police ordered their removal on one hour's notice.The West German press reported that the East Ger-man Reichsbahn had denied a request of the WestGerman Bundesbahn for 11 spec Efrains to carrypassengers to the Kirchentag.

The first reports since mid-1959 on East Germanlocomotive coal reserves indicated that on 28May reserves on hand were sufficient to operatefor only 4.8 days; on 2 June the reserve was5.3 days. Recent refugee reports have indi-cated low coal reserves in several East Germanrailroad centers.

4 July Die Welt reported that in a background dis-cussion with West German journalists Brandtdescribed the Berlin question as only a "second-ary consideration" in Soviet plans, which reallyaim at freezing the division of Germany. Brandtreportedly argued that the Soviet aide memoirecontained points Moscow might be willing to'dis-cuss; tbgrefore, he felt that the West shouldnot concentrate exclusively on c&ntingencyplanning at the expense of political preparationswhich would influence international debate.

The reorganization of one regiment of the East,German Security Alert Police (SAP) into a motorizedbrigade reportedly is under way and may be completedby the end of September, probably resulting in thestationing of stronger security police forces inand near East Berlin. After many postponements,deactivation of the District Alert Police (DAP)probably began on 1 July; enlisted men reportedlyare to be transferred to the East German Army,SAP, or the East Berlin Civil Police, unless theyvolunteer for the Customs Police. Former DAP in-stallations in and near East Berlin reportedlyare to be occupied by the more reliable and bettertrained Security Alert Police. The securityguard regiment in East Berlin, charged withprotecting high-level party and government officials,reportedly is to be augmented by a qnmnanv annnnawith mortars and anti-tank weapons.

5-11 The refugee flow into West Berlin for the weekJuly of 5-11 July totaled 5,379, the highest weekly

figure for this year and 1,665 more than thepreceding week. Over 1,000 refugees a day reg-

iedn-W st Berlin on 8, 9, 10, and 11 July.

Early who recentlyJuly attended a UN-sponsored seminar in Bucharest

and travelled through Rumania, Poland, Czecho-slovakia. ugaary and Bulgaria, told a

| __|that he had founabsolutely unanimous belief on the partof bloc officials that the United States would

give in on the Berlin issue and not wage war-topreserve its rights in the German capital.|

__|____briefcase, desk and safe in-spections w-re -d twice without warning in alloffices located in the Council of Ministers'Building in East Berlin between 8 and 17 July.A central committee member allegedly told lower-ranking party officials that the inspections hadbeen carried out in accordance with a directiveof the 3-4 July 13th central committee plenum.

6 July Ulbricht in a speech to the People's Chamberstressed: "There will be no shooting, butnegotiations...Everything will proceed peace-fully, nothing else has been proposed...We shallnever resort to non-peaceful means unless weare attacked." He did, howdver, reiterate thestandard bloc demands for a peace treaty onSoviet terms, a "neutral free city" of WestBerlin, and recognition of his regime's "sov-ereignty." Asserting that the GDR will makeno attempt to meddle in the internal affairsof West Berlin and that the city's communicationsin all directions can be guaranteed, Ulbrichtreaffirmed that West Berlin must be convertedinto a "free, demilitarized area," thus endingits alleged role as a base for sabotage of theGDR. Ulbricht averred that a peace treatyregulating the status ofWestBerin would besigned this year.

A twin-engine Soviet jet, tentatively identifiedas an IL-28, appeared in the vicinity of WestBerlin's Gatow, Tegel and Tempelhof airfieldsseveral times between 1430 and 1500 hours, flyingat close to the minimum distance altitude limitsestablished by quadripartite flight safety rules.It was not possible to ascertain whether a viola-tion did occur. The sightings ended and the planewithdrew after the US controller at BASC advisedhis Soviet counterpart that the aircraft con-stituted a flight hazard. Two hours later Ber-lin traffic control reported that a PanAm plane51 miles outside of Tempelhof was forced todescend to a lower altitude because of the

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presence of a twin-engine jet with Red Starmarkings. This also was reported to Sovietcontroller, who acknowledged the complaintthat the jet posed a hazard to flight safetyand immediately communicated with _rshorst.No further sightings were reported.

A resolution of the Peoples' Chamber called onthe Federal Republic to agree to discuss re-lations between the "two German states" priorto and in connection with peace treaty nego-tiations, as well as in eriod followingconclusion of a treaty.

GDR Minister of Interior Karl Maron told thePeoples' Chamber, the East German legislature,that "the Radio in the American Sector (RIAS)must disappear like the 83 other espionageorganizations...the peace treaty will make thisa reality." Communications Minister FredrichBurmeister told the parliamentarians thathenceforth he would be solely responsible forauthorizing the use of radios by civil aircraftflying into East Germany. Burmeister did notmention the use of radios by planes in theBerlin Air Corridors, nor did he mentionquadripartite operation of the Berlin Air SafetyCenter--which regulates all flights in thecorridors.

__ six East German Army" ases" have been requ re to provide 6,000 meneach for the ourpose of encircling Berlin by 1September.

7 July East Berlin municipal authorities reminded themore than 50,000 East Berliners and East Germanswho work in the Western sectors that they mustcomply with a 1953 regulation requiring "bordercrossers" (Grenzgaenger) to obtain permissionfrom East Berlin labor office before acceptingwork in West Berlin. The East Berlin officialsclaimed to have received complaints that Grenzgaengerbenefit from lower Soviet Sector prices for food,rent, electricity and gas, while working for the

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"capitalists" in West Berlin. East Berlin partyboss Paul Verner charged that the Grenzgaenger,who benefit from the current West Berlin currencyexchange of one West mark to five East marks, areliving on dishonestly earned money. East Berlin'officials followed up the 7 July announcement byrequiring East Berliners to present a certificateshowing where they are employed before buyingcertain scarce consumers good such as televisionsets and washing machines. |

Mayor Brandt suggested during a press conferencethat the West consider calling a peace conferenceof the 52 "anti-Hitler coalition" nations--themajority of whom would be pro-Western. He statedthat armament reduction or establishment of an"atom free zone" would be negotiable if mutuallyacceptable and not injurious to the security ofEast or West. He also supported Gerstenmaier'sdemand that the future status of a reunited Ger-many be agreed upon in advance of a peace treaty.

8 July The East Berlin police formally banned meetingsof the All-German Evangelical Church Congress(Kirchentag) in the Soviet sector, on groundsthat the Weet German "military" church circlesintended to convert the Kirchentag into a "coldwar operation." Simultaneously, East Berlinauthorities summoned the Evangelical church'ssuperintendent for the East Berlin districtwhere such meetings would normally take placeand officially informed him that the Kirchentagwas forbidden, instructing him to deliver thisinformation to a member of the Kirchentag pre-paratory committee.

Khrushchev served notice in the most forcefulterms he has used to date that the USSR will notbe deterred from carrying out.its declared in-tentions on Berlin by any military measures bythe Western powers to demonstrate their re-solution to maintain their position in Berlin.He announced suspension of force reductionsplanned for 1961 and an increase of 3.14 bil-lion rubles in defense allocations. Khrushchevalso sought to establish the initiative in thepresent maneuvering on Berlin by renewing his

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call for a negotiated settlement which wouldprotect the freedom and communications of WestBerlin and by rebuking the West for its allegedreliance on the "language of threats and in-timidation." The Soviet premier reaffirmed theUSSR's willingness to consider proposals madeby other governments and suggested that renewedattention be given such schemes as the "Rapacki-Plan" for a nuclear-free zone in central Europe,the withdrawal of foreign troops from the terri-tory of other countries, a non-aggression pactbetween NATO and Warsaw Pact countries, measuresto prevent surprise attack, and the "Eden Plan"for a zone in Europe of mutual inspection andaerial photography on both sides of the linedividing NATO and Warsaw Pact forces. Khrush-chev again stated that the USSR has no desire tointerfere in the internal affairs of West Ber-lin, to obstruct Western access, or to damagethe prestige of the US, Britain, and France.Khrushchev appealed to Presidents Kennedy andDe Gaulle and Prime Minister MacMillan to"display wisdom" in settling the German prob-lbma and to agree to negotiations along with"other peace-loving states" to conclude a peacetreaty. These efforts to appear flexible andconstructive were coupled with criticism of the"threatening notes" in recent speeches by Westernleaders and by a renewal of previous warningsthat the USSR cannot allow the Berlin questionto "drag on for years." Although Khrushchev didnot explicitly reaffirm his 1961 deadline, hesaid the West's alleged reliance on the "languageof threats and intimidation" does not con-ribute to a "businesslike atmosphere for nego-tiations" and that, under these circumstances, theconclusion of a separate treaty with East Ger-many "may prove to be_the o1 way out of thepresent situation."

During a Christian Socialist Union conventionin Munich Defense Minister Strauss scornfullydismissed all plans for a "solution" of the Ger-man problem as "hocus pocus" and asserted thatconferences with the Soviets had proved detri-mental or worthless. He also spoke out stronglyagainst Western reco nition of East Germany inany form.

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9 July Addressing a political rally in Munich, Adenauerscoffed at Brandt's call for a "super 52-nationconference" with the comment: "For heavens sake,what would come of that?" He stated that Brandt'smention of an "arms-free" zone in central Europerecalled the Rapacki Plan, "which we have dis-cussed and which does not provide security foranyone and only makes us a second-rate nation."Adenauer also rejected Khrushchev's statementthat a peace treaty with both parts of Germanyis the most important problem, and asserted th tcontrolled disarmament should come first.

10 July quoted a centralcommittee member to the effect that the most im-portant decision of the 3-4 July plenum was totake whatever action is necessary to render thecultural and economic life of the GDR immune to"disruptive action" by the West. Organs of theEast German government reportedly are establishingspecial commissions for the purpose of identifyingthose areas of national life which are liable towestern pressures.

Arkady Sobolev told that ifthe US reply to the aide memoire were quite ne-gative, the Soviets might speed up their pro-posed time schedule.

Ambassador Dowling reported that in the face ofan approaching Berlin crisis the West Germanpopulace has an extraordinary degree of confidencein Western firmness, particularly that of the US,and realizes, too, that Germans have no choicebut to defend Berlin. He contrasted these at-titudes with past uncertainties in both respects,noting that only a fewAnotably Free Democraticparty chairman Mende 'have spoken in favor ofnegotiations.

Commenting on speculation that following theconclusion of a peace treaty the East Germansmight participate in certain control functionsand be acceptable to the Western powers as "agents"of the USSR, First Deputy Foreign Minister OttoWinzer told a press conference marking the in-auguration of "Baltic Week" in Rostock that "Ido not characterize myself as an agent and I do

not desire that we be looked upon as someone'sagents. The GDR is a sovereign state. It issuch before the conclusion of a peace treaty.with states having an interest therein, and itis such, even more so, after the conclusion ofa peace treaty. Whoever wishes something froma sovereign state is advised o enter into ne-gotiations with it." ||

In Ulan Bator, CPSU Secretary Mikhail Suslovtold the congress celebrating the 40th anniversaryof the founding of the Mongolian Party that Mos-cow's proposals for a peace treaty with East Ger-many "will be carried out."

11 Julythat during a recent talk with Gromyko

e nad ound the Soviet Foreign Minis alarmiglycomplacent over Berlin. Gromyko told|that there would be no important Western reac onto Moscow's proposals and that if there were nonegotiations Moscow would simply conclude aseparate treaty wh abroate Westernrights in Berlin.

Pan-American airways advised the US Embassy inBonn that the West Berlin Senat requested fiftycharter flights from Hannover to Berlin on thenight of 18-19 July if the GDR stopped busesbound for the Kirchentag. BEA and Air Francereportedly would also be approached, since Pan-American could mount only twenty special flights.

As "clarification" of the 30 June Gerstenmaierdeclaration the West German Christian Democraticparty executive committee adopted a formal pro-posal advocating "a reunited Germany with a freedemocratic constituti rated in theEuropean community."

12 July The Soviet press denounced Adenauer's visit toWest Berlin for "secret talks with Senat officials,"as a "provocation" and part of l lot to in-crease international tensions.

In its reply to the Soviet note of 17 Februaryon Berlin, Bonn declared that a German peace

treaty hinges on the USSR's readiness to allowfree elections in East Germany and asserted thata separate treaty with the GDR "would violatethe right of self-determination of peoples." TheWest German memorandum stated that a peace treatywith a single German government constituted byfree elections would settle all German problems,including the questions of Berlin and the frontier.After reading the note, Foreign Minister Gromykotold West German Ambassador Kroll that he re-garded it as negative and expected the same typeof response from the US, UK and France, Gromykosaid that the West had no lessons to give theSoviets in self-determination; he said that itwas not difficult for the West to make statementsto the effect that it would stand firm, but thatultimately the Federal Republic, US, UK andFrance would be faced with the necessity of trans-lating this firmness into "steel and fire." Ifthe USSR could not reach satisfactory arrange-ments with the West, Moscow would sign a treatywith the GDR and station troops on the border ofthe Federal Republic and the Soviet Zone, where"force would be met with forc " n heWastcould have war if it desired.

In a nationwide speech, French President DeGaulledevoted only one short passage to the problem ofBerlin but gave the Soviets clear warning that heholds them responsible for whatever "grave con-sequences" follow from any unilateral action,"as if the three great powers have no rightsthere ... and as if the Berliners ought not tobe masters, themselves." While declaring thatthere was no chance that the West would accedeto such unilateral action, DeGaulle neverthelesssaid that if the Soviets would cease their threatsand make some effort toward a real detente, thenthe German problem could be negotiated in acalm atmosphere and "objectively considered" bythe interested powers.

During Adenauer's visit to West Berlin, a jointFederal Republic and Berlin. government communiquereaffirmed support for the five point Berlin de-claration of January 1960, which underlined thelegality of the Western presence in Berlin andaccess rights, the necessity of preserving West

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Berlin's ties with West Germany, the right ofWest Berliners to participate in any agreementon their city's future, and the maintenance ofBerlin as a meeting place for all Germans.

All-German Affairs Minister Lemmer stated thatAdenauer hopes that at a suitable time the peopleof Berlin will be called upon to indicate in aplebiscite the conditions under which they wantto live. Adenauer believes that such a votewould publicize the feelings of the Berlinersand further stengthen the "le al" position ofthe Western powers.

at the quadripartitemeeting stated that there we "few prospects" fora West German-USSR cultural agreement, negotiationsfor which broke down last May over the question ofthe inclusion of West Berlin. He added that evenad hoc cultural contacts outside the terms of aformal agreement would be difficult since the Bonnforeign ministry was etermined to insist on"Berlin conditions."

12-13 Neues Deutschland warned that since the KirchentagJuly was not taking place "in the capital of the GDR,"

but rather in West Berlin, travel to it b EastGermans could not be countenanced. Thefirst bus carrying West German studen t romDarmstadt to the church congress passed through

oet Zone to Berlin without interference.

13 July Information recently obtained from refugees ar-riving-;in West Berlin indicated that shortages offoodstuffs in the GDR had not been alleviatedappreciably during the first two weeks of July,with a lack of butter and potatoes most critical,according to the US Mission. Although seasonalfood supplies through the summer months, includingearly potatoes, will ease the situation to some ex-tent, the o4 _ k for long-range improvement isnot bright.

the Senat wasprepared to provide air or Kirchentagvisitors turned back at the zonal border; PanAmerican airways reportedly had agreed to provide

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e uipent and personnel.Adenauer and the Senat had agreed to

react vigorously" to any harassment of Kirchentagtravel to Berlin. Bonn's interzonal trade ne-gotiator reportedly received assurances from hisEast German counterpart that no interferencewith West German access to the church congresswas contemplated, although every effort would bemade to prevent East Germans from attendingKirchentag meetings.

Adenauer expressed confidence that the West wouldfight for Berlin but said he believed the questionof Berlin's future would be subject to inter-national negotiations before the end of hQ nand hoped for a "reasonable solution."

According to a report based on more than oneobservation,an SS guided missile unit

T locaed in the Eighth Guards Army area insouthwestern East Germany. There is evidencethat the unit, probably of battalion size, con-sists of thre batteries eael with two firingsections.

14 July Gerhard Grueneberg, the SED party secretarywith over-all responsibility for agriculture,declared that "no peasant must consider leaving"a collective farm. Grueneberg ordered partymembers to visit the villages and "discuss"what he called "complication and trul overinadequacies" with the farmers. LJ

At the French Bastille Day reception in Bonn, SovietAmbassador Smirnov sought out Ambassador Dowlingostensibly to inquire when the US reply to theaide memoire could be expected. Smirnov toldDowling that the US and USSR should endeavor toavoid conflict over Berlin, that it was an issuewhich could be talked about and that the USshould submit counter-proposals if it didn't agreewith the current Soviet offer. Later in the evening,the Soviet Minister sought Dowling out at an Iraqireception to argue the "reasonableness" of the Sovietoffer and that Moscow could no longer tolerate thepresent situation--referring specifically to therefugee flow. He urged negotiations, including thesubmission of western counter-proposals.

S T

fthe U is no onger pressing or aParis meeting of high-level representatives of thechiefs of state on military aspects of Berlin con-tingency planning because British military leadersbelieve after Air Marshal Hudleston's conversationwith General Lemnitzer that Berlin planning involvespolitical-military factors which would make anyplanning along purely military lines singularlyinappropriate. The British believe that militaryplanning, as such, cannot be carried further untilclear nolitical directives have been enunciated.

15 July Writing in Junge Welt, Gerhard Eisler said thatSoviet troops will not be withdrawn from East Ger-many until a peace treaty has been signed with allof Germany or Western troops are pulled out ofBerlin and the Federal Republic. |

The US, British and French embassies in Bonn agreedthat, with respect to Western participation in thequadripartite operation of the Berlin Air SafetyCenter (BASC), they will maintain the long-standingpolicy of dealing case-by-case with alleged "viola-tions" of the Berlin Air Corridors and Zonal Fron-tiers, rather than apologize in advance of antici-pated Soviet protests over violations which havecome to the attention of the Western controllers.The three embassies concurred in the view that therewill occur at some time "deep" violations which theSoviets or East German authorities will identifypositively and for which the appropriate Westerncontroller should communicate with the Soviet con-troller, since no purpose would be served by notdoing so. On the other hand, where violations areminimal or doubtful, the embassies agreed that ostatement should or would be made in advance.

15-17 More than 4,000 refugees were registered in WestJuly Berlin during the three-day period with daily fig-

ures of 1,284, 1,240 and over 1,500. During theprevious week-end of 8-10 July, 3,644 refugeeswere registered. Between the two week-ends, thedaily average varied between 700 and 900. Therefugees apparently are taking advantage of summerweek-ends to pose as sightseers and vacationersin order to escape detection by East German security

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authorities. Press reports of stricter controlsbetween East and West Berlin remain unconfirmed.

15-18 Czechoslovakia and Hungary are blocking throughJuly tourist traffic by West Germans in private autos,

according to two separate sources who recentlyapplied for visas for trips to the USSR andwere told to go via Rumania or Finland (SIC)or across Poland--presumably to encouragetheir transit of East Germany. Czechoslovakiareportedly has banned its citizens from travelto East Berlin, a procedure that has been followedin the past when defections were at a high level.

16 July According to Western press reports, West GermanDefense Minister Strauss said in Washingtonthat he believes that the USSR's immediate goalis not the seizure of West Berlin but to compelthe~ist to recognize the East German regime.Strauss' view apparently conflicts with thatof Adenauer who told an informal meeting ofWestern commandants and their deputies inBerlin on 12 July that Moscow's rimary objectiveis seizure of the city.

The Social Democratic party leadership reportedlywas worried that the East German regime might stirdisorders in its own area and blame them on theWest so as to deflect attention from internaleconomic difficulties and force the Soviet handon the Berlin problem. SPD chairman Ollenhauerreportedly plans to approach other Socialistleaders in Copenhagen on 28 July to proposethat;the Swedish government informally warn theSoviets about the potentially explosive situa-tion in East Germany. |

The bi-weekly Neue Justiz, house organ of the.GDRMinistry of Justice, reportedly claimed that atthe conclusion of a peace treaty the East Ger-man regime will declare West Berlin a "freecity" and undertake "the obligations of guaranteeingthe maintenance of its status; this will excludeevery provocative and peace endangering activityemanating from the territory of West Berlin."Neue Justiz allegedly avowed that the GDR wouldbe obliged to "guarantee free communication of

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the city of West Berlin in all directions," butwould be entitled by provisions of the peacetreaty to bar all "militarist, Fascist, revengistand peace-endangering activities. Finally, thebi-weekly reportedly claimed that a treaty wouldinvalidate all existing agreements on air tratficand extend GpR control to Allied flights.

Chancellor Adenauer told a major CDU rally atDortmund, that West Germany cannot be neutralized"because possession of Germany is decisive inthe great struggle between East and West." Headded that German neutralit would never behonored in any emergency.

A Russian-built jet landed at East Berlin'sSchoenefeld Airpot to inn gurate a new 2-mileconcrete runway.

17 July Gromyko glanced quickly through the text of theUS reply to the aide memoire but told AmbassadorThompson that he did not wish to make anyparticular comments until the note had beenstudied. In a brief discussion which followed,Gromyko agreed with Thompson's observation thatthe US and USSR are heading into a difficultand dangerous situation but warned that the dangerwas all of the West's making. Gromyko told Thompsonthat it suits the West and NATO, particularly, toexacerbate the situation; he said that the USSRstill thinks the question of a treaty and Berlinshould be settled by US and SSR and other"interested" powers.

In Mainz, Free Democratic party chairman Menderejected Brandt's idea of a 52-nation peace con-ference with the comment that it was enough tohave four powers involved in the German problem.He recommended the "four-phase German plan offormer Secretar Herter" as a basis for furthernegotiations.

In a Bild-Zeitung interview Brandt called for aWestern political counteroffensive to meet theSoviet challenge to Berlin. He reiterated hisproposal for a 52-nation peace conference andalso called for acconference of all parties re-presented in the West German parliament to study

ways of insuring Berlin's security, self-determinationfor East Germans and a German contribution todisarmament.

17-18 From 1 through 17 July, 14,279 refugees arrivedJuly in West Berlin, as compared with 19,198 for all

of June. On 18 July 1,223 refugees were re-gistered. According to Western press reports,two East German papers on 19 July took noticefor the first time of the refugee flights, and oneof them said that measures would be taken to haltthe movement.

18 July The West German cabinet instructed its inter-zonal trade negotiator Leopold to offer 5000tons of butter to East Germany via the Red Crossor philanthropic organizations, if the East Germansprefer. Bonn does not intend to demand payment,but it will extend an extraordinary $8.5 millioninterzonal slit f GDR refuses to accept the butteras a gift.

A Soviet German language broadcast to Germany.called,the conclusion of a peace treaty an "im-perative necessity...if the smouldering remnantsof World WaT II are to be liquidated...the situa-tion stabilized and frontiers juridically con-firmed." Commenting on the Western replies tothe Soviet aide memoire, the broadcast pointedto an "unprecedented war hysteria" in the UnitedStates and warned that the "enemies of peace areanswering the peaceful Soviet initiative bydrafting plans for a special mobilization, stepping7the rms race and preparing military provocations."

Contrary to recent press stories, there havebeen no reports from refugees or other sourcespinpointing specific preparations for groupaction against the East German regime, accordingto American officials in Berlin. These.off&cialsbelieve, however, that the temper of the East Ger-man populace is such that a relatively suddenand acute sharpening of anti-regime feeling couldoccur, with an increasin possibility ofspontaneous incidents.

T

Soviet Ambassador Menshikov, claimedthat Khrushchev would neither alter s positionon Germany and Berlin nor delay beyond the endof the year unless a "high-level" four-powerconference were held to air all the issues atstake. Other Soviet spokesmen have hinted thatKhrushchev's timetable was subject to revisionif negotiations were begun, but Menshikov's re-marks could be considered a more authoritativestatement of the relationship between the Sovietdeadline and possible negotiations. He soughtto sharpen the choices confronting the Westernpowers by describing the present situation asthe "most serious in my entire career" and assettingthat despite the "threat of war," the USSR wouldstand by its position. Menshikov also stressedthat the US Government failed to understand andapprecia full hs determination onBerlin.

The US, British and French Ambassadors in Warsawagreed in the absence of contrary instructions notto provoke any specific discussion of the Berlinsituation with Polish government officials--whoseem to share similar hesitations, at least withrespect to Western diplomats. In a recent, in-formal conversation with the French Ambassador,Acting Polish Foreign Minister Winiewicz ex-pressed his general belief that there will be.some change in the status of Berlin this yeart andthat it is necessary that the interests of allparties be taken into account at a time whenpossibilities for negotiation have never beenwider. On the other hand, Winiewicz shocked thenewly-arrived Japanese Ambassador during thelatter's courtesy call by adhering "strictlyand brutally" to the Soviet line on Berlin.Nevertheless, the Western consensus is that thePoles neither expect nor desire any progress towardGerman reunification and that they seek to givethe appea f moderation on the Berlinproblem.

West German buses headed for the Kirchentag inBerlin were detained for several hours at.theMarienborn-Helmstedt check point by East Germanbarder olice before being allowed to proceed.

sFe±

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921 refugees were registered in West Berlin.While this represents a drop of some 300 fromthe previous day's total, it is still 222 higherthan the lowest day of the previous week. Thegneral pattern suggests the flow is likely torise Friday, Satur d Sunday and taper offduring the week.

19 July Except for the tabloids, the London press reportedat length and for the most part favorably on theWestern notes. The Times high-lighted the West ewillingness to negotiate with Moscow, urged are-examinatkon of the proposals made at Genevain 1959 and predicted a "long period of thetoughest bargaining seen since the end of thewar." The Guardian characterized the notes as"entirely satisfactory" as "lawyer's briefs,"but criticized their alleged lack of "constructivesuggestions" and advocated "some form of 'packagedeal' by which the Western powers could obtainguaranteed freedom of access to Berlin in re-turn fo l ted recognition of Eastern Ger-many."

The East German news agency ADN accused Presi-dent Kennedy of "rattling the saber" at hispress conference of the day before. "Once againKennedy answered Soviet suggestions for a Ger-man peace treaty with military threats...Any-one who believes these threats must be ab-normally naive." -j]

A GDR district court at Oranienburg, 20 milesnorth of Berlin, sentenced an East German husbandand wife employed in West Berlin to jail termsof 18 months and one year, respectively, for"illegal import" of East German currency andgoods from West Berlin. The couple reportedlyacquired 27,000 East marks in the past 5 yearsby taking advantage of.the five-to-one exchangerate in West Berlin, buying goods for West Ger-man marks in West Berlin and then reselling themfor East marks.

Initial East German comment on the Western noteswas limited to short notices of their publicationand only a few passing comments on their contents.Neues Deutschland, under the headline "Western

-29-

Powers Oppose Peace Treaty," and Berliner Zeitung,"Peace Treaty Turned Down," said that while thethree notes differed slightly in terminology, theircontents were in accord. Berliner Zeitung foundthe US and UK notes "weaker" than the French. NeuesDeutschland said that the UK note ignored the un-easiness of the British people over West Germandemands for military bases in Britain, andfound that the French note actually rejects theidea of negotiations by demanding acceptan e_"earlier, unrealistic Western proposals."

20 July Mayor Brandt told a press conference in West Ber-lin that he does not believe there will be war,but added that it would be frivolous not to con-sider the possible cohsequences of the presentsituation. Referring to the flow of refugees,Brandt said he was afraid many more would comebut, "We cannot sit here in safety and say: 'Don tcome!".

In its first comment on the Western replies tothe aide memoire, the Polish party daily TrybunaLudu asked testily why it had been necessary towait so long for answers which allegedly were a"repetition of old propaganda lines?" The Pol-ish daily observed that the Western notes hadrejected all of the Soviet proposals--except forthe possibility of initiating East-West negotia-tions on Germany. US officials in Warsaw havethe impression, based on conversations, that the popu-lace is ill-prepared for serious Berlin crisis. Theconsensus is that Khrushchev has gone too far toback down. Most Poles feel that a separate peacetreaty will be signed this fall, but that "businessas usuallwill continue." Statements bythe President and Secretary Rusk have bee

.-natty1 renort d b the Polish press.

Ivan Maximovski, the TASS correspondent in Geneva,said that although the Berlin situation was "grave"and a solution "had" to be found by the end ofthe year, he did not believe anyone wanted a war.Maximovski said that he was willing to lay betsthat the Berlin issue would be resolved by meansof a Summit M alin which would be held in Octoberor November.

21 July Albert Norden, SED politburo member and partysecretary charged with over-all responsibilityfor propaganda, told a Berlin meeting of theNational Front that Western aircraft will needEast German authorization tn fl to West Berlinonce a treaty is signed.

US Mission Berlin reports that tighter controlswere exercised at all East-West Berlin sectorcrossings andat -ahn stations adjacent toWest Berlin.

Ambassador Thompson reported that he is con-vinced that Khrushchev will try to reach agree-ment on negotiations over Germany and Berlin,before the upcoming CPSU congress even thoughthe date set for such negotiations may wellbe set for after the congress.

22 July West German Evangelical Church authoritiesestimated that approximately 11,000 of theparticipants in the closing sessions of theKirchentag were from Communist-ruled areasof Germany. They did not indicate whether amajority of te 11.000 were from East Berlin,or the Zone.

A Volksarmee article by GDR Defense MinisterKarly Heinz-Hoffman confirmed that the Ulbrichtregime will ask that Soviet troops remain gfterconclusion of a peace treaty "for as long asforeign troops remain in West Germany." Com-menting on reports that the US, UK and Frenchmight use tanks to keep open the autobahn toWest Berlin, Hoffman said "such plans are laugh-able and one does not need to occupy himselfwith :t63. It would be childish madness to be-lieve that anyone in Europe is strong enoughto force their way to West Berlin with tanks."

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DAILY REFUGEE FIGURES

19 July 921

20 July 825

21 July 864

22 July 1,255

23 July 867

24 July 1,253

" . 4 TT

CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS CONCERNING THE BERLIN SITUATIONSINCE 27 JUNE 1961*

(SUPPLEMENT)

5 June

Border Secuiy Poce BSP personne arebeing transferred from the eastern frontier tothe East-West German border. Civil police maybe replacing border guard psonne nhoeastern border.

23 June In answer to a request by Erfurt officials for per-mission to use planes to drop propaganda leafletsin the countryside, an East Berlin official de-clared that "all flights, even those by helicopters,"must be cleared in advance by BASC and indicatedthat the Soviets require the GDR to submit plansfor every cor ht to them for clearancethrough BASC. +

23-25June

* Several items of information dealing withoccurrences prior to 27 June that were notavailable for inclusion in Berlin Report dated27 June have been added to this chronology.

-2-

Late Jun-Ear July several of East Germany's rourteen aistricts

the SED initiated a careful surveyof public reactions to the peace treaty pro-posals prior to the 3-4 July central committeeplenum. Magdeburg District--the location ofsome of a erime most_ imno tant industrialplantst s"a series ofmisconc etically allareas, noting that party members were asking:"Isn't this an inopportune time for the con-clusion of a peace treaty? Wouldn't it havebeen better to wait until we are economicallystrong, above all until we have overcome cer-tain supply difficulties and have reduced ourliability to outside interference?" In pre-dominantly agricultural Neubrandenburg District,

|[_ _]_Ithe farmpopulation was outspokenly critical of theregime, while party discipline in state andecoomi cnstitutions was "inordinately bad."

5 July

5, 12/1319/20July

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Ear July Rostock, Neubrandenburg,Dresden, and Erlurt isItricts indicated that somefarmers were Attemuting to leave the collectives.

a number of partyfunctionaries are demoralzed y local criticismand the regime's practice of blaming them forfailure to stabilize the situation.

7 July

Rostock officials were alarmed that a severe potatoshortage on the eve of the opening of the importantBaltic Sea Week celebrations on 8 July might leadto public demonstrations on the arrival of partyboss Ulbricht to open the ceremonies. Officialsreported that tourists were taking pictures ofthe long lines queued up for potatoes and thatbrawls had occurred in Stralsund, where theshortage was worst, necessitating police interven-tion. The shortage arose when 40 freight cars enroute from Czechoslovakia were held up as a re-sult of an unexplained decision of trade officialsnEast Berlin to halt all potato shipments. =

the situationappeared to be under control, the 40 railroadcars would be arriving, and that Ulbricht wasdriving to Rostock.

11 July

12-13July reg me oi c als were

confident that as German Evangelical churchmenwere succumbing to pressure and that only thechurches of Berlin-Brandenburg and Goerlitz stillwere adamant about sending delegates to the Kirchen-tag.

TO>S ET

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14 July West German Defense Minister Strauss told represent-atives of the National Broadcasting Company in NewYork that he is agreed "in principle" to meetingwith Gromyko in a neutral it-vsac enna orGeneva to discuss Ber

20 July 825 refugees, including 43 "border crossers," wereregistered in West Berlin. In the second articleon refugees in as many days, the party daily NeuesDeutsbhland demanded the imposition of securitymeasures to halt the flow, calling on part membersto "come to grips with this human trade,"|

21 July

22 July Intensified controls by East German securityorgans--customs, border and transportation police--were put into effect in Potsdam &ndorder to"prevent further illegal departure from our re ub-licI

-5-

train tickets from three suburban stations to Ber-lin increased 200--00 percent on 21 July. Pre-sumably this reflected attendance at the closingsessions of the All-German Evangelical Church Con-gressKihn whichnded inrWlstB ino

TOET

SET

s TD

O

threatening tone on Berlin have increased popular discontent

and apprehension. These factors have been added to the usual

preference of refugees to flee during the summer months. East

German moves to curtail the flow of refugees and warnings to

the populace that it can expect no improvements in living

standards increase the possibility of spontaneous local

outbreaks.

T

CONCLUSIONS OF SPECIAL USIB SUBCOMMITTEEON BERLIN SITUATION*

Period Covered:27 June through24 July 1961

1. During the reporting period, Khrushchev and other

Soviet officials have used forceful terms in attempting to

impress on the West that the USSR will not be deterred from

its announced policy on Germany and Berlin by any Western

moves. At the same time, the USSR's preference for early

negotiations, apparently at a high level four-power conference,

has been evident in Khrushchev's statements and in several

private remarks by bloc spokesmen.

2. Despite hints that a separate treaty with East Ger-

many might be signed as early as September, there is no con-

vincing evidence that Khrushchev has altered his expressed

intention to wait until the West German elections and probably

until after the CPSU congress in October. Private remarks

by Soviet officials provide further evidence that if negoti-

ations are begun before the end of theyyear, Khrushchev's

1961 deadline would not apply.

3. Since our last report a combination of events have

coincided to produce an increasingly serious internal situa-

tion for the East German regime. A further deterioration

in the economic situation and the effect of the bloc's more

*These conclusions were approved by USIBat its meeting of 25 July 1961.

BERLIN REFUGEE FLIGHTS

COMPARISON OF 1960 AND 1961 BY WEEKS10000

9000

8000

7000

6000

EASTER

5000

WHITSUNTIDE4000

3000 16

2000

1000

03 10 17 24 31 7 14 21 28 7 14 21 28 4 1 18 25 2 9 16 23 30 6 13 20 27 4 18 25

JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL M A Y JUNE J2 ULY 1961

610726A JAUR26BUR JULY 16

FLIGHTS PER DAY SINCE 8 JULY 1961

\32512321-123262 5 |-5

--0

-- -- 86486

500

07 9 0 | 1 2 . 4 S 6 7 18 9 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 11610726 .

NN \

N .

N(

N' N

i