153. Letter From Secretary of State Herter to Foreign Minister Couve de Murville0
Dear Couve: At the meeting of the Chiefs of State and Heads of Government of France, Great Britain, and the United States at Rambouillet on Sunday morning, December 20,1 there was as you know discussion of an arrangement for secret tripartite talks in London on matters of common concern, with the emphasis on subjects in this connection which are beyond the scope of NATO. President Eisenhower and I have discussed this, and in consequence I am writing to you and similarly to Selwyn Lloyd to confirm our readiness to participate and to indicate to you the fashion in which we think such talks should be conducted. [1–2/2 lines of source text not declassified]
Our plan would be to name as our Senior Representative, Mr. Walworth Barbour, who is our Minister in the London Embassy. He would be assisted by the senior Economic Officer in the Embassy and by a military officer already stationed in London. [4–1/2 lines of source text not declassified]
It also occurs to me that in the interest of genuine privacy, the meetings as they are held from time to time might be in the form of private dinners in a residence, with the evening devoted to discussion.
For our part, we would be prepared to meet at any date agreeable to you and to Selwyn. It would be helpful, I think, if well in advance of the first meeting there could be an exchange among the three of us with respect to particular topics which one or the other desired to have raised.
I would appreciate a word from you by private letter when you have had a chance to consider the thoughts I express above. Ambassador Houghton and our Minister Cecil Lyon are [less than 1 line of source text not declassified] aware of these contemplated arrangements. I would appreciate it, therefore, if you would communicate your reply through one or the other of them. I have written Selwyn similarly and presume I will also be hearing from him.2
[Page 323]With every wish for a very happy New Year, I am
Sincerely,
- Source: Department of State, Presidential Correspondence: Lot 66 D 204. Secret. Drafted by Merchant. Enclosed in Herter’s December 30 letter to Lyon for delivery to Couve de Murville.↩
- See Document 151.↩
- In a January 7, 1960, letter to Herter, Houghton reported he had delivered the letter that afternoon. Houghton wrote that Couve had said that, in his opinion, the plan seemed all right and he promised a definite reply soon. Copies of both these letters including a copy of Herter’s December 30 letter to Lloyd, which was identical to his letter to Couve de Murville, are in Department of State, Presidential Correspondence: Lot 66 D 204.↩
- Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.↩