Letter from Denis R. McDonald to John A. Belton (Bonn)
(313/10) (Copy)

You will see from the Secretary’s official minute (313/10) of the 19th December, 1951,¹ that we feel the need of personal reports from the Legation concerning the situation in Germany and we have not received a single report on political topics since Mr. O'Beirne's² report of 20th November, 1951, concerning his visit to Berlin.³ We are, accordingly, made to depend on newspaper cuttings for practically all our information about the current political problems of Germany.

I have been asked to write to you personally to solicit a series of comprehensive reports on leading topics based upon your own experience and observations and I have been told to send you a copy of the enclosed minute of the 9th May from Dr. Rynne.⁴

I shall be glad to hear from you as soon as possible that you are putting the reports in hand. You will, of course, realise that we regard Germany as a country of major interest in the present European situation and that the lack of first-hand reports imposes a very great disadvantage upon those at Headquarters.