RFE PROBLEM WITH BONN IS GETTING MORE SERIOUS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-6-1-22-9
• Release Decision: RIPLIM
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: August 6, 2010
• Sequence Number: 22
• Publication Date: June 5, 1970
• Content Type: MEMO

No Objection to Declassification in Part 2013/03/19: LOC-HAK-6-1:22-9
UM FOR UR.K1ESNGE,t
FROM: }J 1 -3tinenfe
SUBJECT: arE blstn Lth Ream is tetttng More Serious
(Tab A) frorri Bean indicates that the crisis over
picking up. autderstand that funding and other
*adored in the 40 Zorreamittee recently.
The issue Ii the ',goer:tad osea. euntine Eastern reropean pressure
to get rid of the Radio. There now apparently is a threat from savrah
East Europese. countries to boycott the Utnalch Olympics in PIIZ if &L is still
there. The Germans want to *void a confrontation with us (they say) sad
have apparently been trying to get aim to do something to its scripts to
remove say basis for charge* that they are inflammatory. It is far from
clear however, that even if RrE were to modify its scripts (which, according
to CIA, are in fact kept under review and are available to the GM' trannas), the
East Europeans *veld cease their pressure. There have been suggestions
that the Germans should elation someone to Munich to pass on scripts sod
participate in operations generally, but it is highly unlikely that the Germans
would want to be that much more identified with the Radio f present trends
hold, sooner or later the Germans, whatever is in the seriph:, will be con-
fronted w:tia the choice of keeping the t.1.441,0 and avoiding * problem with us
or propitiat'ing the Zest for the sake of successes in Ostpolitik
reaucraticelly within the US Governments CIA had wasted to send 2525X1
25X1 to Bonn today to see If a modes v di between RFE and the Aermans 25X1
r .K.FE scripts are in fact
25X1
DOS, NSS
reviews
completed.
found and also to determine er
sive. (CIA says the Poles have in the past give* the FRG doctored
o make RFE appear in a bed light..) State, however, has held up
trip on the ground that whoever goes to negotiate with the Germans 25X1
properly Instructed. State and CIA have been meeting or the
to consider the options. gather they have guidance from you
et that we should not permit the Germano to bargain with our
weever. it is mat clear that there is any specific White House
.i.rsction of the current State/ CIA effort to develop a course of action or
that say mere basic thought is being given to tit* future of RYE or a possible
alternative to it.
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2013/03/19: LOC-HAK-6-1-22-9
No Objection tilieclassification in Part 2013/03/19: LOCHAK-6-1-22-9
SECRET/EXDIS -2-
I take it there is a judgment in the Administration that both RFE and
Radio Liberty can at some point be used by us for bargaining purposes
with the East and that for this reason we should keep both operations
functioning in Munich, whatever the Eastern pressures on the Germans
to circumscribe or remove them. This also presupposes German un-
willingness to antagonize us for the sake of relations with the East. This
set of judgments may well be accurate; but if it has not already been sub-
jected to analysis, it certainly should be.
Egg. c.rrolvria^1:
eigillYter you veil+nrielr-to pursue this matter further in the 40 Committee.
T
SECRET/EXDIS
APPRo c/a e"f et'
PisioPoovE
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2013/03/19 : LOC-HAK-6-1-22-9
,0A1i.8-1, ( 1.
?..5? ,c1.:,,,, Jj.
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L.44' No Objection to Declassification in Part 2013/03/19: LOC-HAK-6-1-22-9
li * Department of 3111Itte 1?071
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6.1:471iS C''
PAGE @1 BONN 06 96 031923Z:
80
ACTION S$.,45'
INFO OCT.-01 /046 W
P031700Z JUN 70?
FM' AMEMBASGY BONN
TO'SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8451
S E! C: R T BONN 6296
'EXDIS
BEHR
?EnsrEll
CHAPIN?.
H laa3
ENNEDY
HJJi1RODMIf(
ktiti?OW,
Addtib 4b3
?/kUNIAllg
SUBJECTS .GERMAN GERMAW REACTION TO RFEi P
RFE' DIRECTOR WALTER
IMMIX
071333
NING'S INTERVIEW WITH
i0 IN A MOVE APPROVED By FONMIN SCHEEL, POMMERENING AND RFE
DIRECTOR RALPH WALTER MET IN BONN MAY 20 TO DISCUSS POLISH
AND. OTHER EASTERN EUROPEAN PROTESTS AGAINST RFE* ON JUNE 2,
POMMERENING GAVE THE'DCM THE FOLLOWING FRANK. EVALUATION OF HIS
TALK WITH WALTER
2. POMMERENING SAID THAT, SPEAKING QUITE HONESTLY, HE DID
NOT FIND. WALTER0S RESPONSE SATISFACTORY. H.Ea_D THAT A aDRE
COOPERATIVE RESEOaaE FROM R.F.E_WAS-NECESSARY-TO_HEAD-OFZ
W4Wf-TIT-TD,RED COULD BECOME A VERY SERIOuS PROBLEM* HE SAID THAT
RF:E' BR-OWDZWSTS-CONFINED TO FACTS PRESENT NO PROBLEM. THE DIFFI-
CULTY' IS THAT THE TONE OF RFE BROADCASTS IS AT TIMES UNFORTUNATE
AND INFLAMMATORY, HE CITED ONE PARTICULAR CASE IN A BROADCAST
TO POLAND IN WHICH RFE URGED VOTERS IN A LOCAL ELECTION NOT TO
VOTE FOR A CERTAIN CANDIDATE, KNOWN ASA HARD-LINE STALINIST
POMMERENING MADE A SHARP DISTINCTION BETWEEN RFE AND RADIO LIBERTY,
WITH WHICH THERE WAS NO PROBLEM.
3. POMMERENING THEN SAID THAT PROTESTS FROM EASTERN EUROPEAN
COUNTRIES ARE BEGINNING TO MOUNT* THEY HAVE NOW HAD PROTESTS
IN ONE' FORM OR ANOTHER FROM POLAND, HUNGARY, BULGARIA AND ROMANIA.,
RECENTLY THEY HAVE RECEIVED AN OFFICIAL pROTEST-FROM THE HUNGAR.
TANS. FURTHERMORE, THE HUNGARIANS HAVE LET THE FRG KNOW THAT RFE
MIGHT POSE A THREAT TO THE OLYMPIC GAMES. THERE COULD, FOR EXAMPLE,
DEVELOP A COMMON EASTERN BLOC POSITION BOYCOTTING THE 1972
OLYMPICS IN MUNICH UNLESS REE WAS REMOVED FROM GERMANY* POMMERENING
SEC E
NOT TO BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE ALIO' RIZATION OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
? No Objection to Declassification in Part 2013/03/19: LOC-HAK-6-1-22-9
,IsYcLls!' PP.
4
1
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2013/03/19: LOC-HAK-6-1-22-9
4- ? ?
1-? 1:111.111:?: PcZ7
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Department of Mate rel
1,11
:SECRET
PAGE 02 BONN 06 96 031923Z
SAID HE FELT THA
UNATE PRESSURES
WITH IRRESISTIBL
SUCH. A DEVELOPMENT COULD: LEAD TO VERY uNFORT-
N THE FRG AND ESPECIALLY IN THE MUNICH AREA,
PUBLIC CLAMOR TO REMOVE RFE SO AS NOT TO
JEOPARDIZE THE 1972 OLYMPICS. POMMERENING SAID THE FRO WANTED
AT ALL COSTS TO AVOID THIS KIND OF SITUATION,
4. HE'ADDED?THAT THE, SITUATION WAS MADE EVEN MORE DIFFICULT'
BY THE FACT THAT THE POLES OvER THE LAST SIX MONTHS, BASED ON THE
ERGos ANALYSIS, HAVE CONSPICUOUSLY TONED DOWN THEIR PROPAGANDA
ATTACKS ON THE FRG. THIS MAKES IT MUCH MORE DIFFICULT FOR THE FRG
TO COUNTER POLISH PROTESTS BYSAYING THAT THEY AFTER ALL ARE DOING
THE,sAmE?THING.
5, pommERENING SAID THAT-THE FOREIGN OFFICE HAD PREPARED A
PAPER FOR THE MINISTER) STRESSING THE GRAvITY OF THE RFE PROBLEM,
PARTICULARLY IN THE CONTEXT OF.US-GERMAN RELATIONS-4 THE RARER
POINTED OUT THAT RFE WAS SUPPORTED BY PRIVATE AMERICANS, MANY OF
WHOM ARE VERY INFLUENTIAL AND PLAY KEY BEHIND-THE-SCENES ROLE IN
THE US GOVERNMENT. IT WOULD BE MOST UNFORTUNATE IF THESE' PEOPLE,
MANY OF WHOM ARE ALSO STRONG FRIENDS OF THE ERG' WERE ANTAGONIZED
AND GIVEN THE IMPRESSION THAT THE FRG WAS "SELLING OUT" TO THE
COMMUNIST BLOC. AT THE SAME TIME-. THE PAPER POINTS OUTS
MOUNTING BLOCFPRoTESTS AGAINST RFE CAN, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE
OF THE OLYMPICS, LEAD To IRRESISTIBLE PRESSURES TO REMOVE RFE
FROM GERMANY, WITH "VOA LEFT TO DO THE JOB" AS HE PUT IT.
THE ARGUMENT WILL BE MADE' THAT RFEAS AFTER ALL A PRIVATE
COMPANY WITH A QUESTIONABLE STATUS WHICH WAS ACQUIRED BACK IN THE
OCCUPATION DAYS. THE PAPER THEREFORE URGES STRONGLY THAT, TO AVOID
A SERIOUS SITUATION IN US-FRG RELATIONS, RFE BE URGED TO BE
COOPERATIVE IN MODIFYING ITS BROADCASTING TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT
POSSIBLE.
60 COMMENT: WE CONSIDER THE RFE SITUATION TO BE SERIOUS.
THE, RAPER pommERENING REFERRED TO Is UNDOUBTEDLY GOING TO BRANDT
IN THE NEAR FUTURE. WE ALSO KNOW FROM His STAFF THAT MINISTER
EHMKE IS? DIRECTLY INTERESTED. THE RFE PROBLEM IS THEREFORE LIKELY
TO COME TO A HEAD AT THETOP LEVELS OF THE GERMAN GOVERNMENT IN
THE.; NEAR FUTURE'. IT IS URGENT, IN OUR VIEW, THAT ACT/ON BE TAKEN
AS SOON AS POSSIBLE ON OUR SIDE. /F THE GERMANS ARE FORCED INTO
A POSITION WHERE THEY FEEL THEY MUST_DEMAND THE REMOVAL
OF RFE (WHICH IS THE WAY THINGS ARE NOW GOING), THE RESULT CAN
BE 'A CONFRONTATION WITH RESULTANT STRAINS ON US-GERMAN RELATIONS.
-NOT TO BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE E.1RRIZATION OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2013/03/19: LOC-HAK-6-1-22-9
. (-,*.:',0
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. R.. ?,v?.?' No Objection to Declassification in Part 2013/03/19: LOC-HAK-6-1-22-9
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PAGE 03 BONN 626 031923Z
-SECRET'
WE STRONGLY HOPE HIS CAN BE: AVOIDED' AND 'THAT' RFE CAN :CONTINUE
TO' OPERATE ON GERMAN SOIL'.
7. TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM, WE BELIEVE THAT AN APPROPRIATE
HIGH.LEVEL REPRESENTATIVE SHOULD BE PREPARED TO COME
TO BONN FROM THE US AS SOON A$ POSSIBLE. SUCH A PREPRESFNTATIVE
SHOULD BE EMPOWERED TO GIVE THE GERMANS SUFFICIENT ASSURANCES OF
MODIFICATIONS IN RFE99 APPROACH TO ENABLE THEM TO COUNTER
EASTERN EUROPEAN PRESSURES. WE ARE CONVINCED THAT THERE ARE
FORCES ON THE GERMAN SIDE (LIKE POMMERENING HIMSELF) WHO WANT
TO RETAIN RFE: OUR JOB IS TO GIVE THESE FORCES THE NECESSARY
AMMUNITION.
8o DEPARTMENT REQUESTED TO REPEAT THIS MFSSATE TO OTHER APPROP-
RIATE POSTS' INCLUDING MUNICH -FOR DOHERTY AND TO MAKE IT AVAIL-
ABLE TO ALL INTERESTED 'PARTIES IN THE US INCLUDING DURKEE IN
NEW YORK.
RUSH'
0
NOT TO BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE n.t149RIZATION OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2013/03/19: LOC-HAK-6-1-22-9