DECLASSIFIED 9 Authority 12 5 my Depart 3 of me TELEGRAM #22 PAGE OI BONN 14922 2621652 27' ACTION ACDA 16 INFO EUR ISINSA EEOCIAE 3536 OEOINR 371L @2155 BOJUSIA IEJSRH I398CI DECLASSIFIED osr amec- mmnaa enumsoeaa 0 2619412 JUL es FM AMEMBASSY BONN I TO SECSTATE HASHQC 9264 INFO AMEHBASSY PARIS AHEHBASSY LONOON TE DEPT OECLASSIFICATION REVIEW AHEMBASSY Moscow H et ass'n Changwcass y Io NATO Declass rfy USHISSION BERLIN I I A BONN l#922 SUBJJ EPPLER ON NPT I DURING TALKS HITH EMB OFFS JULY an SPO BUNDESTAG DEPUTY EPPLER SHARPLY CRITICIZED CHANCELLDR TACTICS 0N NET EPPLER SAID IT IHCOHPREHENSIBLE THAT SHOULD SEE ANY ADVANTAGE FOR HIM as CHANCELLOR OR FOR CDU IN HIS CURRENT HOLD-BACK TACTIC ON RATIFICATION THESE HUULD ONLY HARDER FOR HIM IN THE LONG RUN- EPPLER ASSERTED DISARHAHENT COMMISSIONER SEHNIPPENKOETTEE HAD-IN THE PAST FED ADVERSE ARGUMENTS ON THE TREATY TO POLITICAL AND PRESS EVEN THE SOVIETS SEEM TO EE MORE INTERESTED IN STIRRINO UP INTERNAL GERMAN ARGUMENTS OVER THE TREATY THAN IN FURTHERING ERHAN AGREEMENT IN SUFPUFT 0F RATIEICATIONO mm It THE 1T HAS THAT THE ISSUE WOULD BECOME ENTANGLED IN ELECTION CAMPAIGN POLITICS WITH THE INEVITABLE RESULT THAT PUBLIC INTEREST HOULD BE STIRRED TO A MUCH GREATER EXTENT THAN HITHERTOD AN INCREASE IN SENTIHENT AGAINST THE TREATY FOLLOHING THE STANDARD OPPOSITIONAL CITINO NATIONAL INTEREST WOULD HAVE TO BE INDEED STRAUSS AND THE CDU RIGHT WING APPEARED TO BE MOTIVATED IN THEIR OPPOSITION Tb Zn IN THE LONGER THE DELAY ON RATIFICATION EON-PW DECLASSIFIED Authority i Department of State - TELEGRAM PAGE 92 BONN #922 EUEIGSZ NPT LARGELV ST THE DESIRE TO OUTMANEUVER THE COMPETITION FOR RIGHT-WING EPPLER HAS ABOUT THE LINE STRAUSS IS NON TAKING REGARDING GERMAN ACTION ON THE NPT THAT THE GERMANS SHOULD on NOTHING BECAUSE THE NEXT us ADMINISTRATION MIGHT HELL REVERSE ITS POSITION ON NPT EPPLER SAID THIS ARGUMENT HAS HAVING CONSIDERABLE IMPACT AND THAT HE HAD NOTHING TO COUNTER IT HITH HE REPLIED THAT IRREFUTABLE EVIDENCE HAS IMPOSSIBLE IN LIGHT OF THE AMERICAN POLITICALIPROCESS BUT THAT HE SELIEVED PARTICULARLY IN LIGHT BIPARTISAN SUPPORT IN SENATE HEARINGS THAT NEXT ADMINISTRATION HOULO CONTINUE PRESENT POLICY- 3 EPPLER SIAD THAT AS THE RESULT OF BACK TACTIC HITH THE TREATY THE SPD HAD SEENIEEPT ALONE TO CARRV ON NITH THE BURDEN 0F TRYING TO BRING ERSIPOLICT -ON NPT ONTO A RATIONAL COURSE HHERE GERMANT NOULO GRACEFULLY ACCEPT THE UNAVDIDABLE AND PERHAPS GAIN SOME GOOD Nf t RATHER THAN BEING SLONLT ORAGGEO INTO ACCEPTANCE LENDING SUPPORT TO THOSE NHO SUSPECT THE REST GERNANS 0F STALLING RANT TO HAVE ATOMIC NEAPONS 5V SIGNING THE NPT SAID EPPLER THE FRG WOULD BE MAKING AN ADVANCE TONARD ITS OFJECTIVES iN EASTERN EUROPE SUCCESS IN THIS EFFORT NOULD REPRESENT STRONG EST ACTION THAT THE REST GERMANS COULD NON SOVIET OF ANTI- GERMAN FEELING IF GERMANT DELAYED IN SIGNING AND THE NHOLE ISSUE DRAGGED ON THE CLAS Sn STATUS COULD BECOME EVEN MORE APPARENT SINCE OTHER MUCLEAR-CAPASLE COUNTRIES MIGHT PROCEED TO DEVELOP NEAPONS A EPPLER URGED US TO BE AS HELPFUL AS POSSIBLE IN CONNECTION NITH THF EURATOM- IAEA NEGUTIATIONS- HE BELIEVED IT HAS THEORET- ICALLT POSSIBLE TO SETTIE TH-Is ISSUE NITHIN A PERIOD OF MONTH5 SO THE TREATV COULD BE NAIIPIED BV THE PRESENT-BUNOESTAG AND NOULD NOT BECOME AN IN THE 1969 FEDERAL ELECTIONS 4E THOUGHT THAT TREATY OPPONENTS ESPECIALLY STRAUSS NUULD CAMPAIGN ON THE BASIS OF THEIR OPPOSITION TO THE TREATV 5 THE LATEST ISSUE OF THE OFFICIAL SPO HEEKLV 25 CARRIES A FRONT- -PAGE ARTICLE ST EPPLER MAKING HANY OP THE SAME POINTS HE ASSERTS INTER ALIA THAT THE USSR UPVIOUSLY A FRG SIGNATURE ON NPT AS LATE AND As RELUCTANTLY AS POSSIBLE SO THAT THE OF REMAINS ESSENTIAL TO THE COHESIVENESS OF THE S 1H 09 partway I In II- DECLASSIFIED HH-ICH Authority DBIEW tment Of State TELEGRAM PAGE 03 BDNN 14922 2621052 EASTERN BLOC SHOULD SUFFER NO DAMAGE HE ARGUES FURTHER THAT THE FRG HAS NOTHING To LOSE IN THE SPHERE OF MILITARY PUHER o IN NATIONAL PRESTIGE FROM PUTTING 1T5 SIGNATURE To THE TREATY BUT pN THE OTHER HAND BENEFIT EVEHTUALLY A5 a POTENTIAL SUPRLTER To THE UNDERDEVELDPED HURLD 0F RUHER FRUH NUCLEAR ENERGY soURcEs LODGE                     National Security Archive    Suite 701  Gelman Library  The George Washington University    2130 H Street  NW  Washington  D C  20037    Phone  202 994‐7000  Fax  202 994‐7005  nsarchiv@gwu edu