have started something that will have an important place on the pages of history. May the concluding chapter of that history record the reemergence of freedom, of peace, and of happiness.

27. EAST GERMANY-FRIENDSHIP AND SYMPATHY OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE: Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 36 (83d Congress, 1st Session), August 3, 1953 1

1

WHEREAS the brutal suppression by the Soviet Communist regime through the use of armed force and police terror of workers seeking the rights of free assembly and other rights assured to all in the free world; the persecutions of members of all religious faiths; the continuing servitude enforced upon the captive peoples; the systematic repression of all non-Communist political elements in the Soviet-dominated countries and most recently the acts against the people of Sovietdominated countries, deserves strongest condemnation; and constitute (a) suppression of individual and human rights, and (b) persecution on account of race and religion; (c) violate the declarations in the Preamble to the Charter of the United Nations; and (d) violate the basic principles set forth in the American Declaration of Independence of 1776: "... that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. . . . But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."; and

WHEREAS the people of East Berlin, East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Rumania, Hungary and other Communist-dominated countries have so courageously demonstrated their strong devotion to these principles of freedom and justice by their heroic resistance to the Soviet-controlled East German regime and mindful that the United States secured its freedom by popular revolt against tyranny;

and

WHEREAS the Soviet regime being unable to win the allegiance of the people under its rule, knows no other method of achieving the compliance of the people to their dictatorship than by force of arms,

167 Stat. B132–133.

terror, murder, imprisonment, reprisals and mass deportation; and WHEREAS the cause of freedom cannot be contained and will eventually triumph: Now therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Congress commends and encourages the valiant struggle of these captive peoples for freedom.

Sec. 2. It is further the sense of the Congress that the United States express in the United Nations and in every other way open to it the indignation of its people against these suppressions of workers and religious persecutions in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the Communist satellites, its sympathy with the tragic victims of these suppressions and religious persecutions, and its determination that international law and individual and human rights be observed in the world.

Sec. 3. That the Congress of the United States in behalf of the American people hereby expresses the firm conviction that the people of East Germany are entitled to their basic, inalienable God-given rights and freedoms for which they are now struggling.

Sec. 4. That the Congress of the United States further expresses the firm conviction of the American people that the people of Germany, now presently divided, have the right to be a unified nation governed by their own consent by the free expression of popular will in free elections.

Sec. 5. That the Congress of the United States further expresses in behalf of the American people its friendship and sympathy with the people of East Germany, particularly those who have suffered at the hands of the Communists because of their patriotic defiance of Communist tyranny and denounces the action of the Communist regime in killing, imprisoning, and deporting those who have openly demonstrated their love of liberty and justice, and asserts that their heroic sacrifice and suffering will aid the cause of freedom in all the Communist enslaved nations and will inspire freedom-loving people everywhere.

Agreed to August 3, 1953.

1

28. REMOVAL OF INTERZONAL BARRIERS: Note From the United States High Commissioner to the Soviet High Commissioner,2 August 26, 1953 3

It has long been the policy of my government to remove the barriers which still exist in Germany between our two zones and to endeavor to secure freedom of movement for German Nationals between them. You will recall that for several years German Nationals living in the French, United Kingdom and United States zones have been able to move freely between these zones without interzonal passes while it is still necessary for Germans to possess them before they can travel

1 James B. Conant.

2 Vladimir Semenovich Semenov.

3 Department of State Bulletin, Sept. 21, 1953, pp. 391–392.

between the United States and Soviet zones. The continuation of the system of interzonal passes between our respective zones has in my view no justification and I consequently hope that you will agree that we should jointly waive this requirement for German Nationals.

I therefore propose to you that we now jointly waive the allied interzonal pass requirement for the travel of German Nationals between and through the United States and Union of Soviet Socialist Republics zones. Simultaneously, the present German Aufenthaltserlaubnis [residence permit] requirement should be abolished by the German authorities. The responsible German authorities in the United States zone will suspend the requirement of the Aufenthaltserlaubnis simultaneously with the waiver by us of the interzonal pass requirement. I hope that you will accept this proposal and that you will agree to make the necessary administrative arrangements in the Soviet zone so that German Nationals residing in Berlin, the Soviet zone and the United States zone of occupation will be able to travel freely between and through these zones of Germany and Berlin on the simple presentation of their identity card. As soon as you have informed me that these administrative arrangements are to be made in the Soviet zone, I shall order the waiver of the interzonal pass requirement for German Nationals traveling between or through our

zones.

I am informed that my British and French colleagues are approaching you with similar proposals.

1

29. REMOVAL OF INTERZONAL BARRIERS: Letter From the United States High Commissioner to the Soviet High Commissioner,2 September 17, 1953 3

I have your letter of September 1,4 in which you reply to my proposal of August 26, 1953,5 that there be waived simultaneously the interzonal pass which is required by occupation powers and the Aufenthaltserlaubnis [residence permit] which is required by German authorities. I regret that instead of accepting my proposal, you have devoted the greater part of your letter to unfounded allegations that German authorities in the Federal Republic are hindering the interzonal travel of German Nationals. These allegations are so manifestly false that I do not propose to answer them. I would however point out that your claim that these obstructions exist should have led you to agree the more readily to my proposal to waive the interzonal pass and the Aufenthaltserlaubnis requirements.

You have proposed that the whole matter be referred to the government of the Federal Republic of Germany and to the German authorities in the Soviet Zone. You appear to have overlooked the

fact that the inter-zonal pass system was established by quadripartite agreement and that therefore the waiver of this requirement is a matter falling solely within the authority of the occupation powers.

As regards the views of the Federal Republic of Germany on this subject, I should like to call your attention to the unequivocal statements contained in the resolution of the Bundestag on July 1, 1953,1 calling for free circulation of all Germans throughout Germany, and in the subsequent decision of the Federal Cabinet of August 25, 1953, asking for removal of all restrictions imposed on inter-zonal travel by reason of the inter-zonal pass requirement.

By these actions the Federal Republic of Germany solemnly declared its desire and willingness to do everything possible to bring about conditions permitting unrestricted travel throughout Germany of German Nationals irrespective of their place of residence. For this reason the German authorities in the US Zone will, as I have already informed you in my letter of August 26, waive the Aufenthaltserlaubnis simultaneously with our waiver of the inter-zonal pass requirement, on condition that German authorities in the Soviet Zone do the same.

I wish therefore to reiterate to you my proposal contained in my letter to you of August 26, 1953, that "we now jointly waive the Allied inter-zonal pass requirement for travel of German Nationals between and through the US and USSR Zones."

On condition that you will have informed me in advance of your agreement to institute similar measures simultaneously, I am prepared to waive, effective 24:00 hours September 30, the inter-zonal pass requirement for German Nationals proceeding through established crossing points to the US Zone from the Soviet Zone of Germany or from Berlin. At the same time, I request that you reopen those inter-zonal crossing points which were closed on Soviet instructions at various dates prior to the middle of 1952.

Since my British and French colleagues are making the same proposal, German Nationals would then be able to travel throughout Germany on the simple presentation of their identity cards.

30. REMOVAL OF INTERZONAL BARRIERS: Letter From the United States High Commissioner 2 to the Soviet High Commissioner,3 February 22, 1954 4

At the meeting in Berlin on February 18 of the Foreign Ministers of the U.K., U.S.A., France and the U.S.S.R., it was stated that the governments of the U.K., the U.S.A. and France had initiated a study of the steps that could be taken to lessen the hardships which

1 Office of the U.S. High Commissioner for Germany, Documents on German Unity, vol. IV (Bad-Godesberg, 1953), p. 43.

2 James B. Conant.

3 Vladimir Semenovich Semenov.

Department of State Bulletin, Apr. 5, 1954, pp. 508–509.

result for the German people from the present division of Germany.1 Although such steps are no substitute for the reunification of Germany and the conclusion of a peace treaty, which remain the objectives of its policy, the U. S. Government considers that it should be possible for the four occupying powers in Germany to reach immediate agreement on the elimination of a certain number of unjustifiable obstacles which still prevent freedom of movement between the different parts of Germany. The U.S. Government believes that the Four Powers could in this way bring about an immediate and essential improvement in the living conditions of all Germany.

I therefore propose to you that we shall agree that each of us should, as appropriate, take the following measures:

A. The abolition of the requirement for residence permits for Germans residing in the Federal Territory who desire to travel to the Soviet Zone. The maintenance of this formality in fact considerably reduces the effect of the abolition of interzonal passes which was decided at the end of 1953.

B. The opening of the inter-zonal crossing points which have been closed by the Soviet authorities on various dates before the middle of 1952. I would remind you of the proposal on this subject made to you in my letter of January 8.2

C. The improvement of inter-zonal road and rail transport services including the introduction of fast rail services with improved passenger facilities between the principal cities of West Germany on the one hand and East Germany and Berlin on the other.

D. The removal of the prohibited zone, the barbed wire fences and all other barriers placed in the Soviet Zone along the Soviet Zone border.

E. The abolition of all controls and of all impediments to the free circulation of printed matter.

As regards Berlin, we should agree upon suitable methods for re-establishing more normal living conditions for the inhabitants of the city. In particular, I consider it necessary to reach decisions on the two following questions:

A. The abolition of all formalities re movement of persons between Berlin and the Soviet Zone.

B. The removal of all impediments to the free movement of persons and of goods between the Western sectors of Berlin and Western Germany; in particular the abolition of the requirement for the endorsement of Warenbegleitscheine [certificates for goods in transit] for such goods by the authorities of the Soviet Zone and the introduction of arrangements for the customs-free transit of such goods.

I shall be glad to meet with you at your early convenience to discuss these proposals.

1

Statement by Sir Anthony Eden; Foreign Ministers Meeting: Berlin Discussions, January 25-February 18, 1954 (Department of State publication 5399),

p. 129.

2 Not printed.