402. Telegram From the Embassy in the United Kingdom to the Department of State0
6595.I called on Prime Minister this morning at my request to discuss generally his current assessment developments Geneva and his thinking re future prospects.
PM anticipates Khrushchev will show his hand within next few days, particularly in view President’s letter.1 He had not seen letter, but Caccia had described it as “hortatory”. I would say he was glad of letter [Page 913] since it helped West keep initiative which he greatly fears losing to Khrushchev. He believes the President to be the one who can, and really the only one who can give the lead. “I am not in least anxious to lead myself for my own ends,” he added, “and I’m sure the President knows this.”
Re further steps to maintain initiative, PM said one way would be for President to see Khrushchev alone, but PM regards that as dangerous for reasons he did not specify. He considered meeting between President Eisenhower, de Gaulle, and himself in Washington would be useful, and would anticipate such meeting with pleasure. He toyed with idea that perhaps the Queen might summon him to Canada when the President was there, but did not pursue the matter further.
If Sovs propose postponement Geneva meeting for week or ten days, PM would regard development as good sign. On contrary, if they propose adjournment of say four months, such proposal would be bad in that, in Macmillan’s view, during those four months (1) West would be torn by barrage of nagging public criticism and public tirades against H-bombs, etc., and (2) it would be PM’s guess that Khrushchev would make peace treaty.
Finally in summarizing his thoughts on current prospects for West, Prime Minister said he pins his hopes on possibility that we can persuade Khrushchev to agree to a provisional settlement of the Berlin situation for say three years, in which the juridical argument would be shelved by formula perhaps involving agreement to disagree on “rights”. If so, he still has some hope that progress can be made in other areas through a more general discussion at a summit meeting.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 396.1–PA/6–1759. Top Secret; Limit Distribution. Repeated to Geneva as telegram 174, which is the source text.↩
- See Document 395.↩