Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Western European Integration and Security, Canada, Volume VII, Part 1

124. Telegram From the Mission at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and European Regional Organizations to the Department of State⁰

Paris, October 19, 1960, 7 p.m.

Polto 560. Dirk Stikker¹ called on me this morning for general round-up. He had with him an agenda circulated by French for meeting of For Mins of the Six the end of October.² It includes such items as common action with respect to African problems, particularly Congo, common action with respect to Latin America, relationships with East Germany, relation of Israel to Common Market, relation of Six to problems in U.N. He indicated their position was that discussions this sort among Six entirely in order as long as firm conclusions were not taken which would prove embarrassing in NATO or OECD, and as long as there was no Secretariat and formalization of activities.

He was also interested in probability of a summit meeting of Heads of Govt of the Six in Dec.³ While proposal has not been formalized, it is evidently in the wind. He said this raises question whether it would not be desirable to have summit meeting of Alliance in December which would have advantage of putting meeting of Six in proper perspective and making it more difficult for them to take embarrassing action. For that purpose his thought would be that if meeting of Six were held on Dec. 12 to be followed by summit meeting of Alliance later that week, it would put things in their right relationship. Dutch are now approaching Adenauer on this subject.⁴

I told him we had no guidance on this point except that under present circumstances no serious consideration can be given now to this suggestion. Vice President has proposed that spring meeting might be at Heads of Government level.

In connection with a general review of discussions in French Assembly of nuclear matters⁵ and our discussions in private meeting, I asked him if there were any other member in Alliance other than France who was dissatisfied with present arrangements as to nuclear weapons. He said to best of his knowledge there was not, that British had been unhappy a number of years ago when he was Ambassador to U.K. But he did not think they were now. He said he was glad we had ultimate responsibility for use of atomic weapons, and that interests of Alliance were best served by arrangements for planning and consultation. They would however welcome further programs for cooperative undertakings.

Burgess

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 375.42/10–1860. Secret; Limit Distribution.
1. Netherlands Permanent Representative to the North Atlantic Council.
2. The meeting was held November 8–9.
3. The Council of Ministers of the EEC met December 18–24. No heads of state attended.
4. The regular NATO Council meeting was held December 16–18. No heads of state meeting took place.
5. The French National Assembly debated the Debré government’s Five-Year Defense Plan October 8-December 6. The program included the creation of a French nuclear attack capability.