Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, Western Europe and Canada, Volume XXVII

334. Memorandum of a Conversation, White House, Washington, October 25, 1957, 2:40 p.m.¹

MTW MC–18

Washington, October 25, 1957, 2:40 p.m.

SUBJECT

• Final Meeting Between the President and Prime Minister Macmillan

PARTICIPANTS

• Prime Minister Macmillan
• Foreign Secretary Selwyn Lloyd
• Sir Norman Brook, Permanent Secretary of the Treasury
• Sir Richard Powell, Permanent Under Secretary, Defense Ministry
• Sir Edwin Plowden, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Authority
• Sir William Hayter, Deputy Under Secretary, Foreign Office
• Ambassador Caccia, British Embassy
• Sir Patrick Dean, Deputy Under Secretary, Foreign Office
• Admiral Denny, Naval Attaché, British Embassy
• Mr. Peter Hope, Head of the News Department, Foreign Office
• Lord Hood, Minister, British Embassy
• Mr. Charles Wiggin, First Secretary, British Embassy
• Mr. John Roper, First Secretary, British Embassy
• Mr. D’Arcy Edmondson, Counselor, Information, British Embassy
• Mr. Denis Laskey, British Embassy
• Mr. Frederick Bishop, Recording Secretary
• Mr. Philip de Zulueta, Recording Secretary
• The President
• The Secretary of State
• The Under Secretary of State
• Ambassador Livingston T. Merchant, United States Ambassador to Canada
• Ambassador John H. Whitney, United States Ambassador to Great Britain
• Assistant Secretary Elbrick
• Secretary of Defense McElroy
• General Nathan Twining, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
• Admiral Strauss, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission
• Deputy Secretary of Defense Quarles
• Mr. Allen W. Dulles, Director, Central Intelligence Agency
• Mr. Gerard Smith, Assistant Secretary for Policy Planning
• Mr. James C. Hagerty, Press Secretary to the President
• Mr. Marselis C. Parsons, Jr., Recording Secretary
• Mr. William N. Dale, Recording Secretary

1. Communiqué. The draft communiqué was approved subject to a few minor amendments.²

2. Informing Allied Countries of Conference Results. The Prime Minister asked whether we should not instruct our Ambassadors in allied capitals to explain to the governments to which they are accredited the broad purposes of the Conference so that they can furnish support and explanation for the Communiqué.³ The Secretary agreed and Ambassador Caccia and Mr. Elbrick were requested to start work on a draft instruction. The President suggested that since the Communiqué will be on the wires shortly, the instruction should be prepared immediately. He also recommended that the instruction stress the point that through closer cooperation we are trying to be of service to all our allies.

The Secretary mentioned that the NATO Ambassadors will be together at a dinner tonight for Mr. Spaak and said he would make some comments on the meeting then if an opportunity is presented,⁴ The draft instruction to be sent to U.S. and U.K. missions (mutatis mutandis) was subsequently prepared and approved by the Secretary and the Foreign Secretary.

3. Handling of the Press. Mr. Macmillan raised the question of informing the press about the conference. He said that he would hold a press conference at the airport just before leaving and would try to keep it as short as possible. The Secretary mentioned that he would hold a conference at about 6:00 for both U.S. and U.K. correspondents.⁵

4. Memorandum of Understanding. The President and Prime Minister initialed the Memorandum of Understanding with enclosures.⁶

1. Source: Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 62 D 181, CF 926. Secret. Drafted by Dale, approved by the White House, and circulated to appropriate U.S. officials on October 25.
2. See footnote 2, Document 318.
3. The instructions were contained in circular telegrams 393 and 394, October 25. (Department of State, Central Files, 611.41/10–2557)
4. The memorandum of conversation at the NATO dinner meeting is not printed.
5. For the transcript of the Secretary’s news conference, October 25, see Department of State Bulletin, November 18, 1957, pp. 783–791.
6. Not declassified [5 pages of source text].