389. Telegram From Secretary of State Herter to the Department of State0
Cahto 107. For the President from the Secretary.
“Dear Mr. President:
I had a talk with Selwyn today. We were both in a somewhat depressed frame of mind because we were unable as yet to see anything coming from this conference which would justify your going to a Summit meeting. I know Couve de Murville feels the same way.
Selwyn was particularly disturbed because he felt this might mean a break between the three of us since he knew Macmillan was committed to a Summit regardless of the outcome here. On the spur of the moment, I tossed out the suggestion that perhaps Macmillan’s best way of accomplishing his end would be to issue personal invitations to yourself, Khrushchev and de Gaulle to come to London and join with him for [Page 893] conversations on matters of mutual concern without an agenda. I added that I had not talked to you or anyone else about this thought so that it could certainly not be considered a suggestion from my government. I pointed out that if Macmillan wanted to do this, it would save all the embarrassments connected with fending off many other nations which would want to attend a formal summit and might appeal to you if Macmillan could be persuasive enough in his expression of confidence that such a meeting would be productive. Selwyn seemed to be greatly taken with the idea as being one which might be tremendously helpful to Macmillan in his forthcoming political campaign.
My guess is that if we find we can make no headway next week Gromyko will then discuss a Summit conference. He today repeated in the plenary session1 that there could be no bargaining here in Geneva with respect to what would justify a Summit conference, completely ignoring statements made by the three powers in the exchange of notes leading up to this conference. I think we should be firm in not discussing a Summit if nothing is accomplished here. If Selwyn, on his return Monday, should come back to question me on my off-the-cuff suggestion, I would greatly appreciate your views. I have not told him that I was communicating with you.
Faithfully,
Signed; Chris.”
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 396.1–GE/6–1259. Secret; Niact.↩
- See Document 385.↩