. 
1MING TELEG~.~~+\ Department ofState /-g~ 

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Action 
CONTROL: 19198 , ' . RECD: DECEMBER 30, 1963., 11:41 AM
BTF 

Info FROM: BERLIN 
SS 
G ACTION: SECSTATE 869 PRIORITY lluthorit n DECLASSIFIED t 
Y_.c;.O. 1 lf)S'> s· 

SP .B~ _:~ , ..., .GC:.I_( '\) Pnr} (D)'
INFO: BONN 795 PRIORITY L PARIS 546.. _, NARs, Date _f--~ (J' -~ 
. .......

H LONDON 533 
MOSCOW 477
SAL 

EUR 

DATE: DECEMBER 30, 5 PM
IO 
DAC COlFIDENTIAL 
p 
REF BERLINTEL 862

US A 
@U 
PRESS REPORTS WERE RECEIVED IN BERLIN ON AFTERNOON DEC. 28 
INR TEf\T US OFFICIALS HERE CONCERNED OVER SENAT PROTZST TO GDR 

C"""A (MORNING DEC. 27) RE CHRISTMAS DAY SHOOTING. CRONKITS OF CBS 
1 SA WAS QUOTED AS MAKING THIS ~LLEGATION AND · OBSERVING THAT US 

REACTION WAS CASTING SHADOW ON ERHAR~ TALKS IN TEXAS. MISSION
OSD 
RECEIVED PRESS QUERY AND REPLIED IT UNA\·JARE OF ANY SUCH RE?ORT. A~Y. SENAT PRESS CHIEF. BAHR THEN APPROACHED ME ON BEHALF OF SRANDT NAY!Y TO INQUIRE RE TRUTH OF REPORT. I SAID WE HAD RECEIVED NO I t'iF'O 
TR ABOUT REACTION IN US, BUT SET FOHTH FOL V7'~~-JS ON ?ERS Ot::.~. BAS IS: 
I POINTED OUT THAT IN CURRENT SITUATION IT WAS IMPORTANT TO

NIC 
MAINTAI'~ WESTERN ALLIED POSITION VIS-A-VIS SOVS ON BE:RLIN,
RMR 
AND THAT IN PAST ALLIES HAD ALlJAYS HELD SOVS RESPONSIBLE FOR 
AC'rIONS OF EAST GERMANS, INCLUDING MAKING OF PROTESTS BY AiiB 
OF APPROPRIATE SECTOR COMMANDER IN SUCH CASES. CI MADE SIMILr. 
COMMENT TO SEN . SCHUETZ IN CONVERSATION REPORTED BERLINTEL 864 
BAHR EXPLAINED AS HE LATER DID1 TO PRESS THAT CPJCSNOLKORBER. 
MEET ANYWAY WitH WENDT AND IT WAS THOUGHt IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM 
.NOT TO MENTION SHOOTING AS AFFECTING PASS QUESTION AND WEST BERLIN ATTITUDES. 
ALBERTZ WAS SUBSEQUENTLY ASKED AT DEC. 30 PRESS CONFERENCE ABOU . REPORTS OF US DISPLEASURE~ HE REPLIED THAT SENAT ACTION HAD B~ COORDINATED WITH US AND HAD LATTER'S FULL APPR.OVA~. 
COMMENT: MISSION HAD NOT BEEN CONSULTED IN ADVANCE THOUGH ALB1=RT:: 
IN PHONE CONVERSATION DEC. 26 WITH MISSION OFFICER HAD MENTio.·:r 
SUCH MOVE WAS BEING CONSIDERED. FOL THE ' PROTEST, US SENAT LIAISo~· 
REPRODUCTION FROM THIS C
G NFIDENTIAL 
PROHIBITED UNLESS "UNCLA 
. -····-------­
'I 
CONFIDENTIAL
I 
\ 
I 
-2-869, December 30, 5 P .Mo, From Berlin 
OFFICER HAD DISCUSSED WITH SPANGENBERG AND KORBER ON NIGHT OF DEC. 27 RISKS WE SAW. THERE WAS LITTLE PRESS COMMENT ON THIS ASPECT, HOWEVER, EVEN FROM STAUNCHEST GUARDIANS OF ALLIED RIGHTS,
THOUGH LOCAL AP REP WAS ALARMED BY SENAT MOVE. 
WE ASSUME BAHR EXPLANATION IN SOME DEGREE CORRECT, THOUGH SENA! 
MOTIVATED PRINCIPALLY BY DESIRE CREATE PROPER IMAGE IN PUBLIC. 
HANDLING OF PRESS RELEASE ON PROTEST BY SENAT INDICATED LATTER 

HOPED THE PROTEST WOULD CLOSE THIS INCIDENT AND PERMIT FURTHER 
NEGOTIATION WITH EAST CBAHR SAID i.JNNDT HAD EXPRESSED REGRET,

WHICH HE APPARENTLY HAD NOT DONE). WHEN DANGERS OF ACTION ~·JERE 
MENTIONED TO S~ANGENBERT AND KORBER BY LIAISON OFFICER, THEY 
REACTED AS THOUGH SUCH THOUGHT HAD NEVER OCCURRED TO THEM, 
AND THIS MAY WELL BE THE CASE. ' 

RE ALBERTZ STATEMENTS REPORTED ABOVE, WE ARE PLANNING TO HANDLE 
ANY PRESS INQUIRIES AS FOLLOWS: 

IN REPLY TO QUERIES RE ALLEGED CONSULTATION AND US P.PPROVAL 
HE ~iJILL SAY: "A SENAT OFFICIAL, IN CONVERSATION HITH A US MtSSION 
OFFICER PRIOR TO THE SENAT ACTION, MENTIONED THAT SUCH AN ACTio:· WAS UNDER CONSIDERATION. WE DID NOT AT THE Til1E INTZRPRZT THIS AS A REQUEST FOR OUR VIEHS, HOWEVER, AND WE THEREFORE EXPRSSSED NONE." IF ASKED HOW US VIEWS SENAT ACTION, WE WILL SAY FOR RECORD THAT WE SEE NO USEFUL PURPOSE IN COMMENTING AT THIS STAGE 0~~ THE SENAT ACTION. · ON BACKGROUND WE WILL ADD ~·JE HA VE ALWAYS :-1ELD ..... :·: SOVS RESPONSIBLE FOR ACTIVITIES OF THE EAST GERMAN POLICE ANL WE CONTINUE TO DO SO. 
CALHOUN
GP-4 
*AS RECEIVED, WILL SERVICE UPON REQUESTo
'. 
CONFIDENTIAL