129. Memorandum of Conversation Between Secretary of State Dulles and Foreign Minister Martino, Bonn, May 1, 1957, 7:30 p.m.1
The conversation followed very much along the lines of the talk which I had had with Ambassador Brosio.2 He emphasized the role of the Four-Power Working Group in Italian politics and the fact that [Page 410] President Gronchi was using this very actively to try to undermine the government and to build up the strength of the Left Wing. Martino said he had been wondering about what a solution might be. He recognized that the Four Powers on the Working Group did have a special responsibility as regards the reunification of Germany, but on the other hand that this problem tied into related problems such as European security and disarmament where others were equally concerned. It had occurred to him that the NATO Council might establish a series of working groups—one on German reunification, one on European security, one on disarmament, etc. He asked me to study this matter.
I said that the Working Group on German Reunification was not in the American view designed in any sense to be a “directorate” of European affairs as the Italians feared. It was designed merely to be sort of a “watch dog” over the situation during the election period when imprudent proposals might be made or dubious propositions perceived. I said I did not very much favor myself the idea of having special groups and that we had for the last year or so discontinued the so-called “Big Three” meetings which I thought had outlived their usefulness. They were a relic of the war and of a winning side which ought to be forgotten. I had brought the Italians into the Near Eastern arms group although that had been an ill-fated venture due to the French evasions.
I said that I would give serious consideration to Mr. Martino’s proposal but I saw some difficulties in it. I asked whether some sort of declaration by the United States at the NATO Council Meeting with reference to the purpose and scope of the Four-Power Working Group would be helpful. He said that it would of course be helpful but perhaps would not fully meet their needs.
Mr. Martino apologized for troubling me about his internal affairs, and I said I felt honored that he had brought his troubles to me.
I asked him whether he would make the opening general statement at the Meeting tomorrow as the senior Foreign Minister, and he said he would.
- Source: Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 64 D 199. Secret. Drafted by Dulles. He and Foreign Minister Martino were at Bonn for the Ministerial Meeting of the North Atlantic Council, May 2–4.↩
- No record of this conversation has been found.↩
- Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.↩