103. Letter From Prime Minister Eden to President Eisenhower1
Dear Mr. President: You will have heard, no doubt, of our proposal to the joint meeting of officials in London that the time has come when “top level” talks, between heads of Governments could play a useful part in the reduction of world tension.2
This may be rather a surprise to you, but I do pray that you may give it earnest consideration.
Of course we don’t believe that everything can be settled in a few hours or days conversation. But I do really think that to arrange such a meeting would have great advantages. After a full and frank review of the problems, a further programme of work could be drawn up, with a far better chance of success than by any other means, if only because the imagination of all the peoples of the world will have been stirred.
Meetings of Foreign Ministers could follow, and any lines of progress explored. But to start off with such discussions may be the best hope of getting progress later.
I do hope you will be willing to try this.
The hopes of so many people, on both sides of the Iron Curtain, have been raised and a kind of mystique surrounds the idea.
[Page 165]This may be foolish, but it is human.
If our meeting was publicly represented more as a starting point than as a final solution these hopes would be kept alive. I must also tell you that much in our country depends upon it; this is not a party question here, but responds to a deep desire of our whole people.
Of course our Secretaries of State could have an earlier meeting to arrange the form of our talks if you thought this necessary. In any event they would come with us. Our meeting, so far as the principals are concerned, need not last more than a very few days. A great advantage would be that it would give us time—and we need time for things to quieten, especially in the East. I do not think that anyone would precipitate trouble and try rash adventures while such a meeting was in the air.
This would help us all. Moreover, I believe if we issue the invitation promptly it may get in ahead of any tiresome Soviet approach to the Germans. Of course, if the Russians turn it down, our people and the other peoples of our alliance would feel that at least we have tried. And a fresh and much needed impulse would be given to N.A.T.O. and the efforts of each member state.
Could you consider this, and Foster could discuss it further with Harold in Paris.
With kindest regards,
- Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, International File. Top Secret. Attached to a note of transmission from Ambassador Makins to President Eisenhower, dated May 6. The same day Makins delivered a copy to Secretary Dulles noting that the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary were anxious that their proposals be considered before Dulles met with Macmillan at Paris. (Ibid.)↩
- See Documents 96 ff.↩
- Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.↩