Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Berlin Crisis, 1958–1959, Volume VIII

160. Telegram From Secretary of State Dulles to the Department of State⁰

Paris, February 5, 1959, 9 p.m.

Dulte 4. Eyes only Acting Secretary for President from Secretary.

Dear Mr. President:

I have just arrived in Paris having concluded the London phase of my trip. Jock, Livie and I spent last evening with Macmillan and Lloyd and one or two of their advisers.¹ Then this morning I spent an hour at the Foreign Office at a meeting which included Ormsby–Gore, the UK head negotiator at the suspension of testing talks at Geneva.² The Government had called him back to London for this purpose.

Then we went over to 10 Downing Street and the Prime Minister joined our talks for an hour.³

The Prime Minister indicated that our Presidentially approved program for dealing with a Soviet turn-over of Berlin authority to the GDR was generally acceptable. It was, however, easy to detect a disposition on their part to be prepared to recognize or deal with the GDR in this matter. Their general attitude in this whole affair is by our standards “softer”.

Last night the Prime Minister talked in a rather rambling way about a possible program which would involve semi-permanent acceptance of the partition of Germany and then a thinning out of forces in the general Central European area.⁴

[Here follow two paragraphs on the suspension of nuclear testing.]

With respect to Harold’s “solitary pilgrimage” to Moscow some of the London papers have been giving the impression that we had been consulted and had approved of this trip and there were indications that Macmillan might so indicate in his statement this afternoon to the House. I asked him not to do this pointing out that we had of course had considerable reservations about the wisdom and timeliness of the trip. Also that it would be embarrassing in our relations with the French and Germans to indicate that we had had a special rank in consultation ahead of them. So the Prime Minister promised he would merely state that we among others had been informed in advance.⁵

In general I found this talk with Harold less satisfactory than our usual talks. He seemed to be preoccupied with other matters, perhaps the electoral situation, and he was vague and rambling and indecisive.

Tomorrow I shall be meeting with the great General and probably encounter plenty of decisiveness, although perhaps not precisely the kind we would like.

Faithfully yours,

Foster

Dulles

0. Source: Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 64 D 560, CF 1202. Secret. Drafted by Dulles.
1. See Document 158.
2. Dulles reported on the meeting at the Foreign Office in Sectos 8, 9, 10, and 11 from London, February 5. (Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 64 D 560, CF 1203)
3. A more detailed report on the meeting at 10 Downing Street was transmitted in Secto 13 from Paris, February 5. (Ibid., Central Files, 762.00/2–559)
4. See Document 158.
5. See Document 159.