Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Western Europe, Volume VII, Part 2

182. Letter From President de Gaulle to President Eisenhower⁰

Paris, June 10, 1960.

Dear Mr. President: When we took leave of one another in Paris on May 18, you, Prime Minister Macmillan, and I agreed that it was desirable to seek urgently a means of organizing our cooperation more effectively in future, a step that the recent events have rendered more necessary than ever.

I had told you that I was planning to write to you to inform you of certain suggestions. Meanwhile, Mr. Macmillan wrote to me, as he did to you, and made certain proposals.¹ Our Ministers of Foreign Affairs discussed those proposals at the time of their recent meeting in Washington and planned a system of organization of their work that would be very similar to the one that the British Prime Minister had himself envisaged.

I think that the best thing we can do, for the time being, is to take Mr. Macmillan’s suggestion under consideration. I am, therefore, transmitting to you herewith the text of the reply I sent him, which sets forth my own views concerning the method by which a more regular cooperation between the three of us should be conducted.

Please accept, Mr. President, the assurances of my cordial and sincere friendship.

C. de Gaulle²

Enclosure

³

Letter From President de Gaulle to Prime Minister Macmillan

Paris, June 10, 1960.

Dear Friend: I sincerely thank you for your letter of May 25, in which you informed me of your views concerning the means of improving cooperation between our three governments, which recent events have made more necessary than ever, as we all felt when we took leave of one another in Paris on May 18.

I waited until after our Ministers of Foreign Affairs had met in Washington on the occasion of the meeting of the SEATO Council before answering you.⁴ I know that they discussed your suggestions and envisaged, by common accord, a system of organization of their work which, in general, is very similar to the one that you yourself had envisaged.

They have agreed that they should meet often enough during the year to be able to discuss thoroughly all the serious problems of world affairs that arise and the more specific matters that are of common interest.

Such discussions would, to some extent, become a customary practice, and sufficient time would be allowed for that purpose. To prepare for those discussions, each Minister would appoint a high official with general powers. These three officials, who could correspond with one another, would be charged with preparing agendas and following the proceedings closely.

To such regular meetings of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs should be added, from time to time, as you propose, meetings of the three Chiefs of State or Heads of Government. We were able to note, last December and last May, the usefulness of such meetings. They are, in my opinion, essential.

Such practices would strengthen, to a certain degree, our political cooperation, but they would leave out of consideration our cooperation in the field of strategy, which, however, I deem to be necessary, and the absence of which would detract greatly from the importance of political cooperation. I believe that we should consider this essential aspect of our problems also.

In this connection, I have always thought that the groundwork for such matters could be laid in Washington through talks by our military representatives in the Standing Group, which talks would, however, be held outside the regular deliberations of that body. In certain cases, we could, of course, arrange to have our Chiefs of Staff or Ministers of Defense meet. Lastly, we would discuss these matters in our tripartite meetings.⁵

Cordially yours,

C. de Gaulle⁶

0. Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, International File. Secret. The source text is a Department of State translation. The French text of the letter is attached. The letter arrived at the White House on June 13 and was transmitted to Eisenhower in Manila in Todel 6, June 15. (Department of State, Central Files, 751.11/6–1560) Eisenhower began a 2–week trip to the Far East, including visits to the Philippines, Formosa, and Korea, on June 12.
1. Document 177.
2. Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.
3. Secret.
4. See Document 178.

5. On June 18, Eisenhower replied as follows:

   “Your letter of June 10, with which you enclosed a copy of your reply to Prime Minister Macmillan’s letter of May 25, was received just after my departure for the Far East. It has been sent on to me here in Manila. I have read both letters carefully and am pleased to see that we are in general accord on the necessity and means of improving our political consultation. I will give the matter of strategic cooperation the careful study it deserves after my return to Washington.

   “My immediate personal reaction is to be somewhat doubtful of the practicability of using any part of the NATO mechanism, such as the Standing Group, for strategic consultations, because of the certainty that Allies would object. However, I am sure we can develop appropriate consultative process.” (Telegram 5407 to Paris, June 18; Department of State, Central Files, 611.51/6–1860)

6. Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.