193. Memorandum for the Files0
I have talked to the Secretary of State about General de Gaulle’s letter of yesterday, received here by cable.1 Neither of us understands exactly what de Gaulle is getting at. But we note that the copy of the de Gaulle message has been sent to Prime Minister Macmillan. State Department is drafting a message to Macmillan (which I shall have possibly by the end of the week) through which the British and ourselves may reach some common understanding of the problems posed by de Gaulle and develop our own ideas concerning them. General de Gaulle has been referring to this “tripartite world strategy” for many months. In talking to me, he had always been so hazy in propounding his theories that apparently I have never been able to respond adequately. He speaks of “our West”, but he names only our three countries. I am sure he does not mean to ignore Germany, Italy, the Low Countries, the Scandinavian countries, or Turkey and Greece. However, his thinking on this whole matter seemed to show his readiness to set up our three nations as the controlling groupment for NATO.
He does voice his old complaint about the overwhelming influence of the United States in the NATO complex. I once told him that the [Page 406] United States had no ambition to carry the heavy responsibilities that had been forced upon it in NATO. It has there the equivalent of six divisions, a large fleet, and an extensive air force, supported by a great logistic system. At least in the early days the Europeans insisted upon an American commander because geographical remoteness would tend to make that commander impartial as between the conflicting claims of the European countries, and, secondly, because in that combination of naval, air, ground and supply strength we are the largest contributor.
The General’s complaint about our nuclear selfishness is something that the Executive Department cannot help. In lieu of bilateral agreements of this kind, we have argued for a joint stock pile to be available for the defense of Western Europe.
Apparently the General thinks we should carry all these burdens, but abdicate any control over the deployment of the forces, even though another part of his argument is the right of France to control all of its own forces for its own defense.
- Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, International File. Secret. Prepared by the President.↩
- Document 191.↩
- Printed from a copy that bears these typed initials.↩