530. Record of Telephone Conversations Between Herter and Eaton, Gates, and Farley1
Mr. Eaton called and said that the Chiefs had acted and filed their report. They have a negative answer both on studying and stopping the cut-off. The Secretary said the question of study had come up. Mr. Eaton said that on the cut-off they won’t even entertain the idea of a study but they will on space. Mr. Eaton said they were taking quite a beating over there. On the grounds that we don’t have anything more constructive, they saw no reason for having another meeting unless we have a position to suggest. Mr. Eaton said the report was being prepared in Mr. Irwin’s office and would be sent to Gates. They will agree, Mr. Eaton said, to a level of 2.5 without any verification but they will not agree to reducing it even with verification. In the missile field they won’t even discuss it. The Secretary said he didn’t have the report in yet. Mr. Eaton said Dr. Kistiakowsky said it would be the end of the month but Mr. Farley thinks it will be the end of next week. The Secretary said he didn’t think it would prove anything one way or the other. Mr. Eaton said he had sent a questionnaire, with four questions, to Farley and Defense and had received the answers. The Secretary asked Mr. Eaton if he would dictate a memo on where he stood on these talks since he was seeing the President Monday morning. Mr. Eaton said he would have it ready tomorrow morning. Mr. Eaton suggested he come to tomorrow’s meeting ahead of Mr. Gates tomorrow. The Secretary said this would be fine.
9:55 a.m. The Secretary telephoned Secretary Gates and said he understood the Joint Chiefs had a report ready for him on nuclear cut-off and force levels. Mr. Gates said he had a paper on disarmament. The Secretary said that Mr. Eaton was at the end of his tether since the other nations were saying they could not go on unless we make our position clear. He said he was seeing the President at ten on Monday and that Eaton was preparing a memo for him. They arranged a conference at the Secretary’s house at 11:30 tomorrow morning. Gates suggested bringing Twining and one or two others. The Secretary said he couldn’t seat very many people but that would be allright.
10:20 a.m. The Secretary telephoned Mr. Farley and reviewed briefly the two conversations with Messrs. Eaton and Gates. He told him about the meeting tomorrow and asked if he could be at his house [Typeset Page 1947] at 11:00 a.m. Mr. Farley said he would be there. Mr. Farley mentioned the French shot which had been fired this morning.
- Source: U.S. position for ten-nation disarmament talks. No classification marking. 1 p. Eisenhower Library, Herter Papers, Phone Calls and Miscellaneous Memos.↩