— fas the So viet_attitude changed? riow To Solve The Berlin Cris A FHAT is the Soviet attitude to solving the Berlin and German questions in the N ‘niddle of 1961, almost three years from the date on which the Soviet government Berlin the status of a free city? ‘first proposed to give West Has the ‘hanged? = Has it introduced some dras- ‘tic new propositions that eon- stitute a threat to the Western "powers as is being Alleged? Soviet attitude Does it violate any rights of- the present occupation powers in Berlin — the USA; Great |‘ Britain and France? Fer-answers to these Wesé- ‘eri charges it would be best to ‘@o to none other than Soviet > Premier Khrushchev, > . Speaking in the Kremlin on- - duly 8 last; to the graduates of rtnilitary academies, chev made the -following ob- “servations: ~ ON FREE CITY STATUS “West Berlin _ €apitalist order has been pre-, served. We do not want to in- “€erfere in the domestic affairs “of Me city’s population or af- “fect the prestige of the United ‘Siates, the United Kingdom. end France, ; “Is it possible to find a solu- . tion which would satisfy all | “Countries that fought against “Germany and would not dis- _turb the established way of “Hife in West Berlin? ; - "Yes, it is possible, and we, “propose such a solution — %6 €rant West Berlin the status of _@, free city, to give it.a guaran- tee either by the four great owes — the United States, the United Kingdom, France end the Soviet Union — or by ‘weutral countries, or by the United Nations. If the Western ‘powers have a better guarantee. Variant, let themh- suggest it, “However, it is but natural ‘that any decision on West Ber- ‘Yin thust not overlook the fact that it lies in the heart of a “Bovereign state and that ail Khrush- is an island |' “within the German Democratic -Republic, an island where the! CHAIRMAN KHRUSHCHEV ". «+ a free city” with the outside world pass through the territory of that state. “Tt is an accepted rule in in- ternational relations that ac- ; Copenhageh had we not reach- government. This is quite hor. | | different #egulations for flights ‘West Berlin’s communicéations cess to one country or another through the territory of a third state always requires _appro- priate agreement with the authorities of that state. : ‘For instance, the Soviet and British governments have set up a regular -air service be- tween Moscow and London, The route passes through Co- penhagen. But no one would have permitted us to fly via ed agreement With the Danish mal and lawful, and there is nothing puzzling about it, “Then why should there be over the territory of the GDR or for the use of her roads and railways?” ON SO-CALLED THREATS “In proposing to conclide a woula Wolves the following three problems: ae ’ i. It would end the unjustified foreign occupation regime in West Berlin and return the old capital of Germany eniire: | | ly to the Germans, : @. It would end the misuse @ new war in Europe. ; a | GDR. A Free City. _ The acceptante of a free city status fop West Berlin | all kinds of espionage, diversionis: ang sabotage activities | ‘against the GDR and other socialist countriés, aie 8. It would remove one of the most dangerous centrés of international tension, considerably reducing the danger of a. The free city of Berlin could also be a factor in hormal. | teing. relations between the two German states. : AS a tentre of peaceful and fruitful cohiacis between }East and West Germany it could take a first step in a gradual anptoath to teunification, a caude actively supported by the | = a of West Berlin asa eentre ‘Yor German peace treaty and to | solve, 6n this basis, the prob- lem of We&t Berlin, we threat: en no one. We do not demand either changes in the postwar social and political conditions in One state or another, or the establishment of new frontiers. The Soviet Union does not seek any gains in the peace settle- ;| Ment, does not seek to humil- iate “ahyone or infringe upon anyone's interests, _ “The ~ socialist countries do not encroach on the right of West Berliners fréely to deter- mine the social and economic order they want ‘to live under, No one ‘is 0ing to put up ob- Stacles to access to Wést Bér- lin. It-will-be able to establish and maintain contacts with any state and to the extent it will find profitable, “The Soviet government agrees. with President Ken- any new West Berlin Solution must not jéopardize the rights of the population of this city to make an independent choice as a free people. Our. proposal fully ‘accords with this de mand. : Seat: “The Soviet government is prepared to give the most far: reaching guarantees in reta- tion to West Bétlin. 1 have: more tha ON¢é whentioned var-" ious forms of guarantees;-but: the NATO countries, which fan Up a psychosis over ‘West Berlin, studiously hush up this part of our proposals. “The eapitalist ‘free’ press, sensing the weakness of the Western positions, is shouting about the Soviet Union want. ing to seize West Berlin, to gain at the expense of others These fabrications aye intend- ed to conceal from public opin- ion the real nature of the So- viet proposals. i “We do not encroach upon West Berlin or the freedom of its population. We are for the freedom of West Berlin on the basis of freedom, and not on the ‘basis of octupation. We want hothing but the liquida- tion of the ‘vestiges of World War It to improve the entire climate in Europe. That is pre- cisely ‘why the Soviet Union insists on the conclusion of a German peate tréaty.” ON NEGOTIATIONS “Common sense and again ‘common sense — that’s what is required today above all. And this Must fing expression in peaceful action, in @ Gesire to oy G nedy’s recent statement that | ‘was &@ barrier to concluding a sion. Nowadays no Step can be more peaceable than the con- clusion of a peace treaty and the liquidation of the survivals of the last war. “We propose peace, we want reason to prevail in the rela- tions between states, we want peaceful co-existence and com- petition as to what system can secure greater material and cultural values for the peoples, The peoples must determine themselves what system ac- cords with their vital interest: the communist system or the capitalist? © “Ty proposing a peace treaty, the Soviet does not want that some should gain and others lose. Let us record what exists. No one’s sovereignty ‘will be affected by the conclusion of a German peace treaty, “The militaristic revenge = Seeking quarters in West -Ger- many, of course, will not be pleased with the peace treaty. It will bind their hands, make it more difficult to rally forces for fresh gambles. “But that precisely is the un- derlying idea of a peace treaty —to cut short the dangerous gamble of the West German re- venge-seekers who seek to take advantage of the instability in Europe and to set the great bowers at loggerheads’ ‘ON GERMAN UNIFICATION "Hf the absence of an all- German government really peace treaty, the Western pow- ers and the Federated Repub- lic of Germany ‘would accept the proposal the Soviet Union is-now taking, to wit, that the Germans should meet -before the signing of a German peace treaty to work out a common viewpoint both on the question of a peace settlement and on the reunification of the count- ry. : “Tt is the business of the Germans themselves to restore Germany’s national unity. No states have the right to inter- fere in this matter, ‘because no one can solve the question but the Germans themselves, “We do not intend to hold any talks on this question. Let the 8overnments of the Feder- ated Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Re- public reach agreement on this point and we shall recognize any decision they make, “But if anyone is banking on liquidating the sovialist sys- tem in the GDR with our hands, he is living in a world of illusions, The GDR has a faithful and reliable friend in the Soviet Union. , “There are many unsettled Sign for war why not ped® "The pretext that 8 treaty can be sig? with a unified Germ be accepted only ee one politically very “It was American in West Europe. brought about the © of Germany. ar division was no } i the Western powe way of signing treaty, why show at vent conclusion Of treaty?” Lg. gemane —From the aide mt presented by Peer en , shchey to Presiel . nedy at their mee Vienna. by everyone, from or 0 logical conclusion mu! —we must roe ters and not walt "| $70 bring about @ ees: lems of an internation ‘ must be resolved at @ ponding forum. Int problems can only bé elves by the Germans thems i ON SEPARATE TREATY : “The Soviet eoverina «oft regret very much © | eros enim’ allies does Ge sign together with US if we man peace treaty ane vt Germany refuses to 0°” hand of reconciliation aoc ed to her by ‘the states. oa “But we cannot perm solution of this proble? atl’ ly important for 80 mae. 4 and peoples, to be sae for many more years ie cause certain quarters © ye retain an opportunity | ene” venge and to perpetua? vart cupation regime in 4 4 ‘sort German territory. meat Union will be contro” 00 the necessity of reach!? nd “tpt ment with the GDR suf? countries that wish 10 a peace treaty with - a loving German state. ‘ oil “The procedure of cpR peace treaty with the : aie conform strictly to Pace i international practices © J 4 | eee hen this treaty is ge the Soviet Union will ™ 0 from all the oblige Z hitherto’ discharg ; te communication lines wit ot eo Berlin. In short, is # ment of the GDR wil’ | {i as it ne problems in Germany. This, ap- strike at the very toot of tén- parently, is now acknowledged r August 4, 1961—PACIFIC TRIBUNE— al yee full. sovereignty thie inde territory as any othet dent state.” age”