134. Memorandum of Conversation0
PARTICIPANTS
- The President
- President de Gaulle
- Commander Flohic, Aide to President de Gaulle
- Lt. Colonel Walters
Just before the President’s departure from Rambouillet, he and General de Gaulle met on the lawn and briefly discussed the possibility of an agreement concerning the Mediterranean fleets of France, the U.K., and U.S., and likewise such assistance as might be rendered by the United States to France after the French had detonated a nuclear weapon. The President indicated he would like General de Gaulle’s views on this subject.
General de Gaulle then said that for the personal and private information of the President, the French would explode their nuclear weapon in March 1960.1 They have already made all preliminary tests including the detonator and these had been successful. They were as sure as one can be that the test would be successful. If at any time an agreement was reached to destroy stocks of nuclear weapons, France would be only too happy to cease work on her own bomb program. However, a mere agreement to suspend tests would not lead France to suspend her own program of developing nuclear weapons.
General de Gaulle then asked about U.S. progress in missiles. The President spoke at some length describing the Atlas, Titan, and the third-generation solid fuel ICBM. General de Gaulle then asked what U.S. policy towards Europe would be when the U.S. was in a position to base its deterrent missiles in the United States. The President explained the great cost involved in missile launching sites, both “soft” and “hardened” the latter costing ten times as much as the former. The President said that the U.S. would continue to believe in the overriding value of collective security. These policies were assured of continuity by the fact that the Atomic Energy Commissioners changed one by one, although he himself had only 16 months more to serve, but he felt confident that the United States would in no wise diminish its support for collective security because this provided great moral as well as physical strength.
[Page 274]General de Gaulle and the President concluded by stating how much they felt this visit had contributed to mutual understanding and how useful it would be for the future.