140. Memorandum of a Conversation, U.S. Embassy Residence, Paris, December 17, 1957, 9:30 a.m.1
PARTICIPANTS
- United States
- The President
- Mr. C. Burke Elbrick
- Col. V.A. Walters
- Germany
- Chancellor Adenauer
- Dr. Hallstein
- Mr. Weber (Interpreter)
Chancellor Adenauer said he was very happy to see the President looking so well. He congratulated him on his quick recovery. He thought the President looked better now than when he saw him last spring.2 The President inquired concerning the Chancellor’s health [Page 346] saying he had been very worried about him. The Chancellor said he had had nothing more than a case of grippe, but he felt well now.
The President said he thought Prime Minister Macmillan had expressed a very good idea yesterday when he suggested that the Foreign Ministers consider the various matters which might result in resolutions or agreements that could be translated into the communiqué. He thought that the Ministers would be occupied for sometime and that the Heads of Government might not be required to meet until tomorrow. He thought that there had been enough talk around the council table and that the time had now come to work. Adenauer said he thought the first thing the Foreign Ministers should take up this morning is the communiqué. He thought it was a good idea for the Heads of Government to meet tomorrow, and he inquired whether the President was willing to meet again on Thursday. The President said he would be glad to attend the meeting if it were necessary to complete the conference.
Adenauer said he thought the British wished to prolong this meeting in order to avoid appearance before the House of Commons on Thursday. If, on the other hand, they arrived in London from a successful NATO meeting, they could limit their appearance to an explanation of the meeting itself.
The Chancellor referred to Aneurin Bevan’s recent visit to Germany. The President interrupted to say that Bevan was recently in the United States and seemed to be making it his business to tell everyone how to run his affairs. Adenauer said that in their conversation, he had pointed out that Bevan hated the Germans. This hatred stemmed from a very short period of German history and Adenauer said that he, too, could hate the British if he considered only a short period of British history. Bevan had replied he did not hate all Germans. Apparently, Bevan considered this conversation sufficient to report to the press that he and Adenauer had achieved a “broad measure of agreement.”
Adenauer said that Minister Bech of Luxembourgh had recently remarked to him that if Germany were neutralized, a new political party composed of radical right and left would grow up in Germany to support union with the Soviet. Adenauer had made this same point to Bevan. The President said that nothing could be more wicked for Germany and the world than neutralization of Germany. He could see only one result of such neutralization, namely, absorption by the communists. Adenauer referred with some impatience to the recent lectures by George Kennan which unfortunately had made quite an impression. The President said that what Kennan really proposes is the neutralization of all of Europe, which would be the actual result of his proposal for neutralization of Germany. He described [Page 347] Kennan as a headline-seeker. Adenauer said that unfortunately the opposition papers are quick to pick up this kind of thing.
The President referred to elections in the United States, saying that the voters there are influenced by international relations in voting for the national ticket, and by national affairs in congressional elections. Adenauer said that federal elections in Germany are all influenced by international developments. The President said this is due to the fact that the Parliament elects the government, which is not true in the United States.
Adenauer said that one of the greatest historical achievements to modern times is the fact that the United States has adapted itself to the important international role that it must play.
Referring again to yesterday’s meeting, the President said he felt very strongly that the Council members had not observed a consultative procedure which so many of them had previously urged. Late in the afternoon, we had learned that seven representatives had already issued the texts of their remarks yesterday to the press. The President felt that this was a denial of the principle of consultation. Adenauer said he thought a mistake had been made by the Chairman who should have cautioned against the release of these presentations and should have arranged to hold a press conference himself following the meeting.
As Adenauer was taking his leave, the President said he was always happy to see him and said he hoped he would come to see him soon again in the United States. Adenauer said that nothing would please him more.
- Source: Department of State, Presidential Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 66 D 204. Secret. Drafted by Elbrick.↩
- See Documents 112 and 118.↩