Office of the Historian

224. Memorandum of a Conversation, White House, Washington, January 30, 1956, 2:15–4 p.m.1

ETW MC–1
Washington, January 30, 1956, 2:15– 4 p.m.

PARTICIPANTS

  • US
    • The Secretary
    • Under Secretary Hoover
    • Ambassador Aldrich
    • Mr. Merchant
    • Mr. MacArthur
    • Mr. Bowie
    • Mr. Allen
    • Mr. Rountree
    • Mr. Hagerty
    • Mr. Cottman
  • UK
    • Prime Minister Eden
    • Foreign Secretary Lloyd
    • Ambassador Makins
    • Sir Harold Caccia
    • Sir Leslie Rowan
    • Mr. Evelyn Shuckburgh
    • Mr. Ian Samuel
    • Mr. Willie Morris

[Here follows a list of subjects discussed.]

At 2:20 p.m. Sir Anthony Eden, Mr. Selwyn Lloyd and the Secretary of State joined their advisers who were waiting in the Cabinet Room. At Sir Anthony Eden’s request the Secretary acted as chairman and briefly reported the results of the discussion at the President’s luncheon.2

Press Arrangements

First the Secretary said that it had been decided with respect to background briefing of the press that Sir Harold Caccia, designated by Sir Anthony Eden, and Mr. Merchant would meet together after each session and agree on the information and general line which would be given to the press. It was also agreed that both delegations would try to avoid having other persons brief the press but that in any case they would confine themselves to the agreed line in any discussions with the press.

Draft Declaration

Next the Secretary reported that the President had handed Sir Anthony a draft declaration to be issued of their talks.3 The Prime Minister’s initial reaction was favorable. It was agreed that to put the [Page 620] draft in final form for submission to the Foreign Ministers and the Heads of Government, the British would designate Sir Leslie Rowan and Sir Harold Caccia. The Secretary named Mr. Merchant and Mr. Bowie.

European Integration

Finally the Secretary reported that at luncheon there had been considerable discussion of the movement toward European integration. He called on Mr. Selwyn Lloyd to summarize the position as presented by the British.

Mr. Lloyd said that the British were anxious not to interfere in any way with the position of the OEEC which they regarded as being the most valuble instrument for European cooperation and particularly liberalization of trade. Apart from that he said the United Kingdom had no prejudice against EURATOM. The United Kingdom itself could not go into EURATOM because in its programs military and peaceful uses of atomic energy were completely intermingled. He raised the question as to the situation of certain European countries interested in the peaceful development of atomic energy which would be excluded from the six countries now discussing EURATOM. Insofar as the conclusions of the Messina Conference4 were concerned, Mr. Selwyn Lloyd said that they felt strongly that France would accept a common market only on the basis of a high protective tariff. He greatly feared that the pursuit of the common market by the Community of Six would lead to a repetition of the EDC experience. In other words he was inclined to think that after exhaustive negotiation and agreement on a treaty, France in the long run would refuse to ratify. Mr. Lloyd went on to say that if the common market among the Community of Six emerged as a high tariff area the British would definitely oppose it. He spoke of their position as being “hostile” to the common market. Nevertheless Mr. Lloyd said that the British considered it important to keep up the momentum behind European cooperation. They believed that OEEC required new vitality. He also felt that the most promising means of promoting friendship between Germany and France lay in the area of arms control as provided for in Western European Union. Mr. Lloyd then referred to their full support for NATO and closed by saying that the British believed that essentially OEEC and NATO constituted the organs by which Europe should be kept strong.

The Secretary noted that he would wish to refer to this subject later during the talks and then suggested that they turn to the Middle East.

[Page 621]

Middle East—Arab-Israel Conflict

[For text of this discussion, see volume XV, pages 101–107.]

Saudi Arabia and Buraimi Dispute

[For text of this discussion, see volume XIII, pages 327–328.]

Baghdad Pact

[For text of this discussion as well as brief discussion of the Iranian situation and Iraq, see volume XII, pages 240–242.]

Syria

[For text of this discussion, see volume XIII, pages 567–568.]

Jordan

[For text of this discussion, see volume XIII, pages 20–21.]

  1. Source: Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 62 D 181, CF 648. Secret. No drafting information appears on the source text. This memorandum was given restricted circulation to appropriate U.S. officials on February 7.↩
  2. According to the President’s appointment book, his luncheon with Eden, Lloyd, and Dulles occurred at 1 p.m. (Eisenhower Library, Eisenhower Papers, Daily Appointments) No separate record of the luncheon meeting has been found in Department of State files.↩
  3. For text of the Declaration of Washington, see American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1956, pp. 444–446.↩
  4. At the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the European Coal and Steel Community, June 1–3, 1955, it was decided to pursue the development of common institutions and to expand the Community’s functions in the field of atomic energy.↩