Position of Strength

Nikita Khrushchev's newest tactic to shake the free world was to give the West six months to make Berlin "a free city," disengaged from the cold war and demilitarized in the heart of Communist East Germany. It brought predictable cries from critics of the Western allies' basic positions-of-strength foreign policy that it was time to think through "flexible," "positive" solutions for the whole of divided Germany. Yet Khrushchev's belligerence was convincing evidence--particularly to West Germany--that the policy of making West Berlin a showcase of prosperous freedom was successful.

Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, who had unduly alarmed West Berliners with legalistic press-conference talk about dealing with East German puppet Communists as "agents" of the U.S.S.R. in "perfunctory, routine matters," backed a strong statement that the U.S. was "solemnly committed'' to West Berlin's defense, would never abandon "the people of West Berlin to hostile domination." Vice President Nixon, visiting Britain (see The Vice-Presidency), proclaimed that "we already have two Germanys--Khrushchev would give us three," and sent a message to West Berlin's Mayor Willy Brandt: "I, as well as the other members of the American Government, wish to assure you in these difficult times of undiminished American support." As if to underscore U.S. bipartisanship in Berlin, a U.S. congressional delegation of one Republican, three Democrats, toured both halves of Berlin, after which Ohio's Democratic Congressman Wayne Hays summed up: "The one thing the Communists respect is force. We must take a strong position and not retreat."

At week's end Khrushchev let out the word that the Russians would like to discuss things around a round table. There or elsewhere the West would get its chance to talk "new solutions." Best guideline: stick to the policy that has already been strikingly successful by 1) prodding the Russians once more to reunification of Germany by free elections, with free choice whether or not to join NATO; 2) insisting that they keep their pledged word on the World War II agreements, which set up Berlin under four-power auspices and turned the city into a striking outpost of prosperity, hope and defiance only because the Communists wrapped their drab, unsmiling empire around it.

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