23. Editorial Note
At the 369th Meeting of the National Security Council on June 19, Director of Central Intelligence Allen Dulles discussed France during his briefing on significant world developments. That portion of the memorandum of discussion by S. Everett Gleason, June 20, reads:
“In a brief review of Prime Minister deGaulle’s first two weeks in power, the Director of Central Intelligence pointed out that de Gaulle had apparently got complete control for the time being of the French army units in Algeria. It was also significant that the Algerian rebels were manifesting genuine concern over the possible weakening of their position vis-à-vis the many Algerian Moslems who find themselves drawn to deGaulle’s proposal for integration. Meanwhile, deGaulle had moved quickly and effectively to mollify Tunisia and Morocco including the removal of all French forces from Tunisia except those at Bizerte.
“Secretary Dulles commented that this latter development meant in effect that deGaulle had adopted the recommendations of the Good Offices Team.
“Mr. Allen Dulles then pointed out the problems on the home front that General deGaulle was encountering from the extreme Rightists and from the Communists. The attitude of the Soviet Union was extremely interesting. As a government the U.S.S.R. was being very cautious in its treatment of deGaulle but as a Communist Party, the Soviets were attacking him heavily. The President broke in to say that he could make at least one prediction. If deGaulle lasted six months, he would have arrested Duclos.
“Secretary Dulles inquired about the prospects for the French gold loan. There was no available information on the subject at this time.” (Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records)