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

93. Memorandum of Conversation⁰

Paris, December 19, 1959, 4–5 p.m.

MEETING OF HEADS OF GOVERNMENT

Paris, December 19–21, 1959

PARTICIPANTS

• United States
  • The President
  • Secretary of State Herter
  • Under Secretary Merchant
• United Kingdom
  • Prime Minister Macmillan
  • Foreign Secretary Lloyd
  • Under Secretary Hoyer–Millar
  • Accompanied by senior aides and interpreters
• France
  • President De Gaulle
  • Prime Minister Debre
  • For. Min. Couve de Murville
• Germany
  • Chancellor Adenauer
  • Foreign Min. Von Brentano

SUBJECT

• Future Meetings; Aid to Underdeveloped Areas; Disarmament; Arms Controls; Economic Cooperation

[Here follows discussion of unrelated matters.]

President De Gaulle then referred to the suggestions which the President had made for an improvement of Western cooperation in the handling of economic questions.¹

President Eisenhower said that this was clearly an important problem but that the United States was not seeking the establishment of a new big organizational structure. We had been thinking of using the OEEC expanded to include the United States and Canada and with some provision which would allow Japan to be associated. He said the Soviets saw the question of aid as a field for competition. Consequently, it was important that we get better organized between ourselves before we talk to the Russians on this subject of aid to underdeveloped countries. He went on to point out that the United States had carried a big load in this field to date. He recognized that France and Great Britain had special interests and special activities in this field in their own Community and Commonwealth, respectively. The United States and Germany were in a position to be more flexible.

President De Gaulle then turned to Chancellor Adenauer and, after addressing him as “my very prosperous friend,” asked his views.

Chancellor Adenauer replied: “We are in favor.”

Prime Minister Macmillan said that the UK agreed to the use of the OEEC machinery to make a study of what was actually being done and by whom in the field of aid to underdeveloped countries, and then to consider what machinery might be best set up among us. After we have done this, he continued, the big question of principle then arises as to whether we ask the Russians to join.

The President then asked whether we were agreed that the OEEC should be used for this purpose, to which the Prime Minister indicated assent. The President went on to say that he was more negative than his colleagues on the question of their taking this subject up with the Russians. He repeated that the Russians see this as a field of competition rather than as cooperation. However, he said that if we got ourselves well organized, then we might put it up to them.

Secretary Herter added that we do not contemplate the use of the OEEC as such as an operating body in this field. The original convention setting up the OEEC as an instrumentality for the administration of the Marshall Plan contained many provisions which were not applicable today. A number of changes would be required, maybe a new charter of some kind.

Prime Minister Macmillan asked whether the concept was that the OEEC would be the instrument for making the initial studies and that we might then go on to something bigger. The Secretary answered in the affirmative.

The President said he had the suspicion that the examination which would be made would bring out the full extent of the burden which the United States had been carrying, not only with respect to aid to underdeveloped countries but as respects the cost to the United States of maintaining the deterrent force for the Free World. In this connection, he pointed out that the simple percentages of GNP did not really reveal the total burden the country was carrying.

President De Gaulle said that the preparatory work would make the ideas which had been put forward clearer and more precise. [Here follows discussion of unrelated matters.]

0. Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, International Meetings. Secret; Limit Distribution. The meeting was held at the Elysée Palace. No drafting information appears on the source text. “Uncleared Memorandum” is typed on the source text.
1. Eisenhower brought up the subject of improved Western cooperation in economic affairs during the December 19 morning meeting of the four Heads of Government. The memorandum of this discussion is in the Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, International Meetings.