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

157. Memorandum of Conversation⁰

MC–9

Boston, September 27, 1958, 5:30 p.m.

SECRETARY’s TRIP TO BOSTON

PARTICIPANTS

• United States
  • The Secretary
  • Ambassador Burgess
  • Mr. Greene
  • Mr. Compton
• NATO
  • Secretary General Paul Henri Spaak¹
  • M. St. M’leux

SUBJECT

• General De Gaulle’s views on NATO

M. Spaak told the Secretary that General De Gaulle had given him a copy of the memorandum which the General had sent to President Eisenhower and Prime Minister Macmillan on September 17.² M. Spaak expressed his concern that if De Gaulle presses his proposal it will be the end of NATO. The Italians and Germans would not tolerate it. M. Spaak thought it important to raise for discussion some of the issues General De Gaulle presented but he heartily disagreed with the idea of trying to revise the North Atlantic Treaty. Also he wholly disapproved of the idea in the De Gaulle memorandum of injecting the military standing group into what should be political consultations—if any.

The Secretary said he had found in general one good element and one bad in the De Gaulle memorandum. Since it is a fact that the ability of the United Nations to deal with serious issues is deteriorating with the proliferation of membership, it is legitimate for the members of NATO to consider how best they may deal with such issues, on a global basis. Consultation within NATO, of the sort which M. Spaak had just been discussing, and the contacts which M. Spaak had initiated with his counterparts in other regional organizations, might be viewed in this context. But the idea of a “world directorate” comprising the United States, Britain and France is wholly unacceptable to the United States.

M. Spaak shared these views.

The Secretary noted that he had told Ambassador Alphand and Couve de Murville, as well as Selwyn Lloyd,³ that De Gaulle’s memorandum raised serious issues which would have to be carefully studied in the United States Government. The Secretary said that he thought this study would take quite some time.

0. Source: Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 64 D199. Secret; Presidential Handling. Drafted by Greene. The meeting was held at the Sheraton Plaza Hotel.
1. Spaak paid an unofficial visit to the United States September 26–28. He and Secretary Dulles were in Boston to address the Atlantic Treaty Association on September 27. For texts of their speeches, see Department of State Bulletin, October 13, 1958, pp. 571–574, and October 20, 1958, pp. 607–611.
2. Part 2, Document 45.
3. A memorandum of Dulles’ conversation with Couve de Murville and Alphand is printed in Part 2 as Document 46. On September 26 at 11 a.m., Dulles met with Lloyd, informed him of the contents of De Gaulle’s letter, and told him the United States wanted to consult with the United Kingdom about a reply. He asked Lloyd to send him the British views after speaking to Macmillan. (Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 64 D 199)