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

127. Memorandum of Conversation⁰

August 24, 1959.

SUBJECT

• French Atomic Energy Program

PARTICIPANTS

• Ambassador Herve Alphand, French Ambassador
• M. Claude Lebel, French Minister
• Mr. Livingston T. Merchant, G
• Mr. Robert H. McBride—WE

During his discussion on other matters Ambassador Alphand stated that the French would probably make their initial atomic explosion in the Sahara “in the first months of next year”. He alluded to the campaign against the French explosion on the part of Morocco and others on the grounds that it would increase radioactivity. Alphand said that US experts obviously knew even better than French experts that the explosion of a small bomb in the middle of the Sahara would not increase radioactivity to any noticeable extent. He stressed that the explosion would be a small one. In this context he said that the French Government had spoken to the UK in order to enlist their support in explaining to the other African territories the minimal additional danger resulting from the French explosion. Without formally requesting US support, Ambassador Alphand expressed the view that it might be helpful if the United States could make similar explanations to some of the African states. This is Morocco and Tunisia. In the context of the President’s trip to Europe, Ambassador Alphand said that in Paris the atmosphere with regard to Franco-American relations in Morocco and Tunisia was not good. He said that the US decision to ship arms to Tunisia at this time had been unfortunate.¹ He said in Paris it was believed that there existed an agreement that the amount of the arms shipment would be the subject of consultation and that this had not been the case in this particular instance. He said that France, of course, had been in agreement regarding the shipment of a limited amount of arms, but that the absence of consultation on the specific amounts involved in this case had had a bad effect.

Mr. Merchant noted that CBS had a story of this arms shipment over the radio this morning. Ambassador Alphand said that this was most unfortunate and expressed the hope that the vessel on which the arms were embarked would not be seized.

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751.5611/8–2459. Secret. Drafted by McBride.
1. For documentation on the discussions with the French about the arms sales agreement between the United States and Tunisia signed June 15 and the U.S. decision to begin shipments on August 24, see vol. XIII, pp. 817 ff.