129. Editorial Note
President Eisenhower visited Europe August 26–September 7 to consult with Western Allies prior to Premier Khrushchev’s trip to the United States in September. After meeting with Chancellor Adenauer in Bonn August 26–27, Eisenhower went to England for a 6-day visit. On September 2, he flew to Paris for talks with President de Gaulle, officials of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and Prime Minister Antonio Segni of Italy. Eisenhower returned to Washington on September 7.
Documentation on President Eisenhower’s conversations with Adenauer is in volume IX. Regarding his discussions with British leaders, see Documents 365–367. While in London, Eisenhower met with Spanish Foreign Minister Fernando Castiella on August 31 to discuss U.S. economic and military assistance to Spain; see Document 315.
The President, accompanied by Secretary of State Herter and Deputy Secretary of Defense Thomas S. Gates, Jr., arrived in Paris on September 2 for a 3-day visit. For texts of Eisenhower’s remarks made upon his arrival and President de Gaulle’s response, see Department of State Bulletin, September 21, 1959, pages 410–411. Memoranda summarizing Eisenhower’s conversations with de Gaulle on September 2 are printed as Documents 130–132. Herter met with Foreign Minister Couve de Murville at 11 a.m. to discuss some logistical details of the conversations between Eisenhower and de Gaulle and the joint communiqué. Copies of the memorandum of this conversation, the press statements, and the chronology of the events of their visit on September 2 are in Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 64 D 560, CF 1456.
On September 3 at 9:30 a.m., Eisenhower and Herter met with Spaak and the President of the North Atlantic Council, Joseph M.A.H. Luns. [Page 254] For the memorandum of this conversation, see Part 1, Document 222. At 10 a.m., the President, accompanied by Luns and Spaak, visited the North Atlantic Council. Text of his remarks to the Council is printed in Department of State Bulletin, September 21, 1959, page 412. At 10:30 a.m., Eisenhower met with Prime Minister Segni and Foreign Minister Guiseppe Pella. At 12:30 p.m., Herter met with Couve de Murville to discuss a draft of the joint communiqué. At 4 p.m., Herter met with Couve de Murville and Prime Minister Debré to discuss African problems. At 4:20 p.m., the President paid a brief visit to SHAPE; the text of his remarks was released to the press. Eisenhower met privately with de Gaulle at 6 p.m. to discuss Africa and other matters; see Document 133. At 7 p.m., the President and de Gaulle discussed North Africa. The memorandum summarizing this conversation is in volume XIV, pages 612–614. The chronology of the events of September 3, copies of some of the memoranda of conversation, and the press releases are in Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 64 D 560, CF 1457.
On September 4 at 7:30 a.m., the President met briefly with de Gaulle before his departure for Pestwick, Scotland, for a stay at Culzean Castle before returning to Washington on September 7. For the memorandum of this conversation, see Document 134.
For texts of the joint communiqué issued by Eisenhower and de Gaulle on September 3 and of the President’s remarks made at the time of his departure from France on September 4, see Department of State Bulletin, September 21, 1959, pages 411–413. For text of the President’s report to the nation on his European trip delivered by radio and television on September 10, see ibid., September 28, 1959, pages 435–438.
Copies of all the memoranda summarizing the President’s conversations with French leaders in France are in the Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, International Meetings. Copies of all the memoranda summarizing Herter’s conversations in Paris are in Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 64 D 199. The chronologies of their trip to France and the briefing papers prepared in the Department of State on the subjects to be discussed with French leaders as well as many of the memoranda of conversation, summary telegrams, and press releases are ibid., Conference Files: Lot 64 D 560, CF 1440–1443 and 1456–1458.
Herter remained in Paris on September 4 and during the day had conversations with Libyan Ambassador Ben-Halim, Turkish Foreign Minister Zorlu, and Greek Foreign Minister Averoff. The Secretary of State’s remarks to a private meeting of the NAC are summarized in Polto 368, September 4. (Ibid., Central Files, 740.5/9–459) For the memorandum of Herter’s concluding conversation with Couve de Murville at 5 p.m., see Document 135. The Secretary and his party left France at 7 p.m. Copies of all the memoranda summarizing Herter’s conversations [Page 255] on September 4, the chronology of meetings held on that day, and the telegrams summarizing these meetings are in Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 64 D 560, CF 1458.