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

140. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom⁰

September 24, 1959, 6:43 p.m.

2433. Deliver following message from President to Prime Minister Macmillan. Advise date time delivery.

“September 24, 1959.

Dear Harold: Thank you for your letter of September sixteenth.¹ Since I wrote to you on the eleventh an event has, of course, occurred which is of capital importance—the de Gaulle announcement of the Algerian program. While we still have not had time to make a detailed anlaysis of this complex plan, and it is apparent immediately that there will be difficulties involved (as is inevitable in a matter of this delicacy), you have possibly noted that I publicly stated it is a program which deserves our support.² Secretary Herter also made a statement on behalf of our UN delegation in an effort to be helpful to the de Gaulle program.³

I have seen the supporting statement of the Foreign Office in London and the favorable London press reaction to the de Gaulle plan which matches the generally favorable attitude of our own press. I believe that you and ourselves should keep in the closest possible touch on this whole Algerian problem and specifically with reference to the tactical problems which are bound to arise in the UNGA debate on the subject, where we wish to avoid a repetition of the situation which developed last year when French sensibilities became injured.

With regard to the difficulties which we have encountered in achieving our NATO objectives, I have written General de Gaulle a letter,⁴ in which I outlined my views on the principal outstanding issues, such as the French Mediterranean Fleet, the questions of stockpiling atomic weapons, and the broader concept of integrated defense in the NATO area. All of these views are of course well known to you. I feel sure my letter will be read sympathetically by General de Gaulle even if he does not agree fully. I hope it may be useful in convincing him that in our NATO defense concepts, we are merely trying to achieve the maximum security for us all.

On the subject of tripartite consultations, we will probably be moving ahead shortly, since you indicate in your letter of September sixteenth⁵ that you are willing to participate in informal talks on matters of interest outside the NATO area, on the understanding of course that no new institutions are created. It is our understanding that the French wish talks to begin, perhaps in the first instance on Moroccan and Tunisian subjects, and our people will be in touch with yours on this subject.

Finally, I want to thank you again for your kind words about my trip to Europe from which I derived the greatest pleasure and which was, I hope, useful. I shall soon be in touch with you again to tell you about the substance of the current visit of Chairman Khrushchev to the United States. What a pity we cannot talk to him without an interpreter. I have the feeling that if each of us could talk to him, alone, in a common language, we could do better.⁶

With warm regard,

As ever, Ike.”

Herter

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.51/9–2459. Secret; Priority; Presidential Handling. Drafted in the White House, cleared by Goodpaster, and approved by Calhoun.
1. Document 138.
2. See footnote 1, Document 139.
3. For text of Herter’s statement on September 22 in support of de Gaulle’s program for Algeria, see Department of State Bulletin, October 12, 1959, pp. 500–501.
4. Document 139.
5. Document 138.
6. In his September 28 reply to Eisenhower, Macmillan thanked the President for his letter, stressed the importance of the forthcoming U.N. debate on Algeria, and expressed his pleasure that Eisenhower had written de Gaulle about NATO. (Department of State, Presidential Correspondence: Lot 66 D 204)