321. Editorial Note
On November 17, the 467th meeting of the National Security Council was held in Atlanta, Georgia, where President Eisenhower was on a working vacation. During his report on significant world developments affecting U.S. security, Director of Central Intelligence Allen Dulles stated:
“de Gaulle’s decision to hold a plebiscite probably would make the army very unhappy. Developments may be moving during the next two months toward a crisis in the Algerian situation which will bring things to a head. Mr. Dulles believed that de Gaulle’s proposal would probably get support in both France and Algeria but it would definitely have the opposition of the colons and of the army in Algeria.
“Secretary Herter said that we have information that de Gaulle’s attitude has changed radically and that he is now moving toward a realistic solution. However, he will not tell us just what he plans. In [Page 711] the UN there is a build-up of heavy support for a UN referendum in Algeria but we have not been given the information by de Gaulle which we need to support French plans. Mr. Herter said he was hopeful that before the UN situation comes to a head, we will have better material from the French.
“In answer to the President’s question as to why the U.S. delegation to the UN should not make a suggestion for a reasonable solution, Secretary Herter said we were doing this and had sent word about it to Couve de Murville.
“The President said he thought Secretary Herter should try to find a face-saving device in the UN for the French. We should make a shrewd guess and try to suggest a compromise solution and then see if de Gaulle would go along with it. Secretary Herter said that the U.S. has made one proposition which the French generally go along with, except for a proviso which calls for the French to sit down with representatives of the Algerian rebels.” (Memorandum of discussion at the 467th Meeting of the National Security Council, November 21; Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records)