The week's most visible action on Berlin was a blunt and forceful U.S. memorandum, seconded by Britain and France, that answered the June 4 Soviet note demanding a German peace treaty by year's end.
Much thought, second thought, revision* and consultation with allies went into the note. Still, the finished version came as no surprise either to the U.S. public, which has been well-briefed on the dangers of the Berlin crisis, or to the Kremlin, which has been well aware of the day-to-day spine stiffening in Washington. The U.S. note agreed with the Soviet contention that "a peace settlement is long...