56. Memorandum of a Conversation, Secretary of State Dulles’ Residence, Washington, June 12, 1956, 8 p.m.1
At dinner we had some discussion about EURATOM with the Chancellor and also with Hallstein, who sat at my left, and to whom the Chancellor referred some of my questions. Adenauer said that they were afraid that the EURATOM was being set up in such a way that it would promote socialism. He favored the idea in principle, but did not want it to operate to socialize industry in Europe. Hallstein said that on this account they had felt compelled to make a reservation at the Venice meeting. He felt that the agency should not retain ownership, but should exercise all the controls that could be exercised if there were ownership.
I spoke of the relationship of EURATOM to the common market and said that while the United States favored both developments, it did not seem to us wise to condition one upon the other. I felt that each step could be taken on its own merits and that the creation of EURATOM would of itself maintain a momentum favorable to the common market. Hallstein seemed to indicate acceptance of this view, but somewhat confusedly.
- Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, General Memoranda of Conversations. Secret; Personal and Private. Drafted by Dulles.↩