27. Message From the Secretary of State to the President1
Dear Mr. President: I dictate this as we have recessed at 8 o’clock to reconvene later tonight at 10:30 or 11. It has been a difficult day, primarily dealing with our project and trying to develop further the Atlantic community particularly in terms of its own unity. All of our allies are willing to follow the Italian lead and have NATO turned into an economic organization which can probably extract a little more money out of the United States; but when it comes to doing anything to develop Western European unity or any real cohesion with respect to policies vis-à-vis the Soviet Union, then there is very marked evasiveness. I believe we shall get in some form recognition of the need to develop the purposes of NATO along other than military lines, and it has been tentatively agreed to designate as the “Three Wise Men” Pearson, Lange and Martino to study this project with the governments concerned and make recommendations next fall. But the decision will, I am afraid, be expressed in rather grudging and minimum terms that hardly are responsive to our hopes or the needs of the situation. However, I am perhaps a bit tired and cynical at the moment and our night session might take a turn for the better.
Faithfully yours,
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 110.11–DU/5–556. Secret; Niact. Transmitted to Washington in Dulte 10, May 5, at 10 p.m. A copy was sent the same day to the White House where it was retransmitted to the President at Gettysburg as CAP REF NBR 556. Copies of these documents are in Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Dulles–Herter Series.↩