460.509/9–2751: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Embassy in France 1
1849. Excon. During course brief discussions East-West trade at NATO Council mtg Ottawa,2 Secy made gen explanatory statement of US policy reaffirming US belief that policy of selective embargo was the correct one in present circumstances and that continued multilateral approach to problem highly desirable. Secy also referred to current discussions in COCOM and expressed hope that progress cld be made in bringing about greater parallelism US and Internati List 1 and adequate control List 2 items.
In more complete discussion East-West trade problem which Linder had with Gaitskell,3 Linder outlined present US legis situation and expressed hope that Br wld see their way to agree to inclusion on List 1 of those 1–A items in which their trade not significant in terms balance of payments rather than adhering to a rigid interpretation of [Page 1193] strategic definition. Gaitskell appeared consider this cld be done and promised look into matter on return London.
- Drafted by Camp and cleared with Linder; repeated to London.↩
- During the Seventh Session of the North Atlantic Council which met in Ottawa, September 15–20, the subject of East-West trade was only briefly discussed as noted in the source text and no resolutions concerning export controls were considered. For documentation on the Seventh Session, including summaries of the meetings, see vol. iii, pp. 616 ff.↩
- The conversation under reference has not been further identified.↩