95. Editorial Note
On January 12–13, the Special Economic Committee, created in response to the December 21, 1959, Heads of Government declaration on economic development, met in Paris. The dates were chosen because they immediately preceded the already-scheduled Paris meetings of the OEEC and OEEC Council (January 14). The governments and organizations represented at the January 12–13 meeting (the 13 plus group) were: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the EEC Commission. Under Secretary of State C. [Page 227] Douglas Dillon led the U.S. Delegation to both the meetings of the Special Economic Committee and the OEEC. Dillon flew from Washington to Paris on January 10. On January 11 at 5 p.m., he met with Derick Heathcoat Amory, British Chancellor of the Exchequer, in the British Embassy; see Document 96. On January 12, Dillon met with Dutch Foreign Minister Joseph Luns at 10 a.m. in the U.S. Embassy for discussions on the problems of economic integration; see Document 97. Later that day, Dillon addressed the Special Economic Committee, outlining U.S. proposals for the reorganization of the OEEC. For text of his address, see Department of State Bulletin, February 1, 1960, pages 140–145. For Dillon’s report to President Eisenhower on the results of the Special Committee meetings, see Document 98.
The Special Committee passed three resolutions. The first called for a meeting of the member and associate states of the OEEC in Paris on April 19, 1960, to discuss reorganization of the OEEC and appointed a 4–man committee (the Group of Four) to prepare a report recommending changes in the existing OEEC structure. The second resolution noted and encouraged meetings among the “capital exporting countries” for the purpose of promoting aid to underdeveloped nations. The third resolution called for creation of a committee of the 20 OEEC governments to study trade problems. For texts of these resolutions, see Department of State Bulletin, February 1, 1960, pages 146–147. W. Randolph Burgess, Permanent Representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and European Regional Organizations, was appointed U.S. member of the Group of Four.
On January 14, Dillon attended the meetings of the OEEC. He made a short statement of policy to the general session of the OEEC; for text, see ibid., page 145. For Dillon’s report to Eisenhower on the outcome of the OEEC meeting, see Document 99. The Under Secretary returned to the United States on January 16. Documentation on Dillon’s trip to Paris, including memoranda of conversation, telegraphic summaries of meetings, and briefing papers and schedules of the Under Secretary’s meetings, are in Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 64 D 559, CF 1579–1583.