Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Berlin Crisis, 1959–1960; Germany; Austria, Volume IX

109. Memorandum of Conference With President Eisenhower⁰

Washington, April 5, 1960.

OTHERS PRESENT

• Secretary Herter, General Goodpaster

Secretary Herter said he wanted to discuss further with the President the latter’s desire to send a message to Khrushchev suggesting a mode of procedure at the summit meeting—based essentially upon having very limited meetings among the top four, followed by enlarged meetings with Foreign Ministers present to receive the guidance of the Heads of Government. Mr. Herter suggested that the President send a draft of what is proposed for Khrushchev to Macmillan and De Gaulle, now together in London,¹ to consider. He said that some of his advisers—specifically Merchant and Bohlen—have some reservation over the idea, their concern being that Khrushchev might take this to mean that the President has some major projects that he has in mind to settle in this way. Mr. Herter said he is not so concerned on this point as they are, and the President indicated no concern himself.

Mr. Herter said that although there is no set agenda for the summit meeting, the subjects that are expected to come up are rather clearly defined: disarmament; Germany and Berlin; perhaps nuclear testing; and East-West relations.

The President then made editorial revisions to the proposed text of the message to Khrushchev.²

Mr. Herter said that at the last summit meeting in Geneva one of the major problems had to do with press relations. Initially the President tried to keep private the discussions of the top four. Others of the group leaked accounts of the meetings to the press, generally colored in their own way. Finally, each one had to have his own press officer put out the story in his own national version. Mr. Herter thought it would be highly desirable to have one man designated to brief Mr. Hagerty on the proceedings. He suggested that this be Mr. Bohlen, who, with his knowledge of Russian and French, would have an excellent understanding of the full proceedings.

With relation to other procedural questions, Mr. Herter said he expected to have an opportunity to discuss these with the other Western Foreign Ministers, who will be here on April 13th, principally for this purpose.

After re-reading the message, the President asked the Secretary to go ahead and send it under a covering note to Macmillan and De Gaulle. He recalled that he had discussed this matter with Macmillan.³ They had both thought there would be value in De Gaulle, Macmillan and the President meeting early each day, perhaps for breakfast, and then meeting with Khrushchev at 10 o’clock, with the Foreign Ministers coming in at 11. He thought this procedure would prove whether Khrushchev really wants to negotiate or not. He recognized, as an alternative, which he worked into the message to Khrushchev, the idea that after the meeting of the Heads of Government each would instruct his own Foreign Ministers separately prior to the latter getting together to prepare documents and work out specific studies.

The President thought there should be only one formal dinner during the meetings, which it would be appropriate for General De Gaulle to give as the host. Each Head of Government could have the other three in for tea or cocktails in the late afternoon in a very informal session running from something like 5:30 to 6:30.

2Mr. Herter said he would plan to have present at the summit Mr. Merchant, Mr. Bohlen, Mr. Kohler, Ambassador Thompson, also Secretary Irwin from Defense, perhaps Mr. Eaton, and, if appropriate, Mr. Wadsworth on standby plus a Departmental German expert, Mr. Hillenbrand. There was then discussion concerning Ambassador Dowling, and Ambassador Whitney, and it was agreed both should be present on standby.

[Here follows discussion of possible trips by the President to Africa and Portugal.]

0. Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, DDE Diaries. Secret. Drafted by Goodpaster on April 6.
1. De Gaulle paid a State visit to the United Kingdom April 5–8.
2. Copies of the draft letter to Khrushchev and the draft letters to Macmillan and De Gaulle, all with the President’s handwritten corrections, are in the Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, International File. For text of the letters as delivered to Macmillan and De Gaulle, see Document 110.
3. See Document 105.