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

172. Memorandum of Discussion at the 396th Meeting of the National Security Council⁰

Washington, February 12, 1959.

[Here follow a paragraph listing the participants at the meeting and agenda items 1 and 2.]

3. U.S. Policy Toward Germany (NSC 5803;¹ NSC Actions Nos. 1858 and 1932²)

Mr. Gray introduced the subject by noting that continuing study of alternatives to existing policy on the unification of Germany was called for by NSC action. He expressed the hope that in the absence of Secretary Dulles, it would still be possible to have a report on Secretary Dulles’ recent trip to London, Paris, and Bonn. He then called on Secretary Dillon who indicated that Assistant Secretary Merchant would provide the report.

Secretary Merchant stated that the purpose of Secretary Dulles’s trip had been primarily to see whether our allies were thinking along the same lines as ourselves with respect to Berlin and the German problem generally. He added that Secretary Dulles had had long and intimate talks with the leaders of the U.K., France, and Germany during his visits to the capitals of these three countries. Secretary Dulles had expressed himself as completely satisfied with the results of his trip.

Secretary Merchant said that Secretary Dulles had found general agreement between himself and the leaders of the other three countries on proposals for dealing with the Soviets in the event of any attempt to impede allied military access to Berlin.

With regard to the problem of preparing for a possible meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the U.S., U.K., France and the Soviet Union, Secretary Dulles had encountered few differences of opinion and even these were relatively minor and relatively easily adjusted. An agreed reply to the Soviet note of January 10 was now being considered by the NATO Council.³ Secretary Merchant briefly characterized what this note would probably contain.

Thereafter Secretary Merchant described briefly the agreement reached by Secretary Dulles on procedural preparations for a Foreign Ministers’ meeting. There had been discussion in all three capitals of the general problems of the Berlin situation, the unification of Germany, European security, and a German peace treaty. All had agreed that as the substantive basis for our position at such a meeting of Foreign Ministers, the President’s proposal at the Geneva Conference of 1955 should be used. This did not mean that there could not be certain adjustments in form and manner of presentation which might make this basis more palatable to the Soviets and to public opinion. In all three capitals Secretary Dulles had encountered a willingness to examine all the elements of such a package proposal. There was also a willingness to try to make such a package more palatable from the point of view of public opinion. There was not much optimism, however, on its acceptability to the U.S.S.R.

Mr. Merchant then turned to the general atmosphere which the Secretary had encountered on his trip. In London he had found the Prime Minister and Mr. Lloyd much preoccupied with domestic politics. While their position on Berlin was firm, it was not as truculent on this subject as had been the attitude in Paris. The British were open-minded in the matter of the review and presentation of the package proposal at a Foreign Ministers’ Conference.

In Paris Secretary Dulles had noticed a great change in De Gaulle since his last meeting with him in December 1958.⁴ De Gaulle appeared much more friendly and much more relaxed.

In Bonn Chancellor Adenauer had appeared somewhat more flexible in his views than in the past with particular respect to the German contribution to the package proposal.

In conclusion Secretary Merchant said that he felt it desirable for him to state that despite Secretary Dulles’ physical discomfort, he had never seen him so effective and so forceful as he had been in these meetings in London, Paris, and Bonn. Mr. Merchant repeated that Secretary Dulles was extremely satisfied with the progress that had been made.

The National Security Council:⁵

Noted an oral report by Assistant Secretary of State Merchant on the recent trip by the Secretary of State to London, Paris and Bonn, and his conversations with respect to the Berlin situation, German unification, European security and a German Peace Treaty.

S. Everett Gleason

0. Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records, Top Secret.
1. See Document 5.
2. NSC Action No. 1858, February 6, 1958, adopted and implemented NSC 5803. NSC Action No. 1932, June 23, 1958, noted an oral report by the Secretary of State on NSC 5803. (Department of State, S/S–NSC (Miscellaneous) Files: Lot 66 D 95, Records of Action by the National Security Council)
3. See Document 176.
4. Secretary Dulles met with General de Gaulle at 4:30 p.m. on December 15; a record of this conversation is printed in vol. VII; Part 2, Document 81.
5. The following paragraph constitutes NSC Action No. 2048, approved by the President on February 12. (Department of State, S/S–NSC (Miscellaneous) Files: Lot 66 D 95, Records of Action by the National Security Council)