Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume XIII, Western Europe Region

134. Memorandum From the Under Secretary of State (Ball) to President Johnson¹

Washington, March 2, 1966.

ITEMS FOR EVENING READING

[Here follow Items 1–4. Item 1 summarized Rusk’s briefing of Congressional members on Vietnam. Item 2 reviewed the briefing of the Foreign Relations Commission of the American Legion. Item 3 briefed the President on testimony on Panama before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Item 4 discussed shipping to North Vietnam.]

5. Imminence of French Action Against NATO—Action against NATO outlined last September by De Gaulle to me now seems about to be taken by France. In addition to indications from good contacts in the French Government and an outline of the position by de Leusse, French Permanent Representative to the North Atlantic Council,² there has been a leak to the Reuters correspondent in Paris. French actions will presumably include denunciation of bilateral agreements, particularly with respect to American agreements covering our facilities in France; a withdrawal of French military personnel from all NATO establishments with the possibility of the early transfer of SHAPE Headquarters out of France; and, finally, new arrangements with Germany so that French divisions can remain in Germany under auspices other than NATO. We are advising Bohlen tonight that if he is called in by the French Foreign Minister before we can give him further instructions he should say that the French action raises the most serious questions affecting the relations of the two countries and that he must seek immediate instructions from his Government.³ This will give us time to examine the specific French demands. We will probably wish to bring back Ambassadors Bohlen and Cleveland for consultation. I will call in Ambassador Lucet tomorrow morning, report to him the information we have received about the actions France contemplates, and stress the extreme gravity of these actions and the effect it is bound to have on the relations of the two countries.⁴

George W. Ball

1. Source: Department of State, S/S Files: Lot 74 D 164. Secret.
2. Pierre de Leusse reported this at a NATO Permanent Representatives luncheon on March 2. (Telegram 5412 from Paris, March 2; ibid., Central Files, DEF 4 NATO)
3. This instruction was sent to Bohlen in telegram 4249 to Paris at 8:28 p.m. (Ibid.)
4. Ball called Lucet in at 11 a.m. on March 3 to deliver this message. A summary of their conversation was transmitted to Paris in telegram 4255, March 3. (Ibid.) A shorter version was sent to the President in a March 3 Evening Reading Memorandum from the Department of State. (Ibid., S/S Files: Lot 74 D 164)