585. Record of Telephone Conversation Between Eisenhower and Herter1
5:30—the President telephoned from Newport with regard to his proposed press statement on disarmament. The President said he was bothered about this failure to have the British and French go along. THE SECRETARY said we have been working on it very hard for the last ten days. THE PRESIDENT said what he was getting at was if we go ahead and if we don’t get their support, then what? THE SECRETARY what happens is that Lodge files the letter requesting the meeting with the SYG and the SYG then has to poll the entire membership of the UN and has to get 42 members supporting the call of the Disarmament Commission, and the Secy said he thinks when it is actually put on the table the British will go along but they won’t go along to co-sponsor the call for the meeting at this time. THE PRESIDENT said the Secretary better send a message to the British and French to the general effect we are very sorry they couldn’t co-sponsor but we felt it was necessary to put it on and see what the majority of the UN would feel. THE PRESIDENT said what worries him is if we get something of vital importance and we have ignored the British and French view on this—The President said as he understood it the difference was just a matter of timing—then when we want something that is really important, they say to the hell with us. THE SECRETARY said we have had at least four separate sessions with them on this; that the Canadians are keen and so are the Italians; but rather than split the Five Western Powers in the sponsorship of this, we felt it was better the U.S. call for the meeting since we could not have the co-sponsorship of all the other Four. THE PRESIDENT said if the Secretary feels this is important he will approve it, but said he thinks the Secretary should say to the British and French that we thought it was necessary to go ahead because of “special considerations” but we are sorry they couldn’t see their way clear to cosponsor. THE PRESIDENT said he takes it, however, they are not opposed, except to the question of timing. THE SECRETARY said he has a feeling when the chips are down they may go along. THE PRESIDENT said he had doubts they would, and said we haven’t many good friends in the world and when we slap them in the face it is bad, so the President said he would be careful to explain it. THE PRESIDENT said he would not spell out the “special considerations” but they [Typeset Page 2125] could guess them. THE PRESIDENT said he would tell Jim Hagerty to put this statement out in half an hour to give the Secy time to send cables to the British and French.
- Source: U.S. request to UN Secretary-General to convene the Disarmament Commission. No classification marking. 1 p. Eiserhower Library, Herter Papers, Phone Calls and Miscellaneous Memos.↩