Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Berlin Crisis, 1958–1959, Volume VIII

295. Telegram From the Delegation to the Foreign Ministers Meeting to the Department of State⁰

Geneva, May 12, 1959, 8 p.m.

Secto 22. Paris pass USRO. At meeting Secretary, Couve, Lloyd, Brentano and handful advisers noon May 12, Ministers agreed (1) to title “western peace plan” for package plan¹ to be tabled, and (2) each Minister would retain latitude to determine if East Germans were abusing speaking right at any time in conference thereby justifying raising point of order which would result in chairman promptly recessing conference and few minutes later assembling in restricted meeting four Foreign Ministers to deal with problem. General agreement excessively long or frequent speeches by DDR or use intemperate language or proffering advice on subjects where it was not relevant (such as procedures) would all constitute obvious abuse DDR speaking right.

Herter

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 396.1–GE/5–1259. Confidential. Repeated to London, Bonn, Paris, Moscow, and USUN.
1. For text of the Western Peace Plan, see Foreign Ministers Meeting, pp. 55–60; Cmd. 868, pp. 218–223; Documents on Germany, 1944–1985, pp. 624–629; or Department of State Bulletin, June 1, 1959, pp. 779–781.