170. Telegram From the Delegation at the Summit Conference to the Department of State0
Secto 19. At meeting this afternoon with Couve and Lloyd to discuss present situation, Secretary made clear that as result of Khrushchev’s statement this morning,1 there was now no point in President talking privately with latter. Khrushchev had crossed Rubicon this morning. He could not retreat from his ultimatum which the President had made clear he could not accept. We saw no purpose in further quadripartite meeting tomorrow. It was clear that Khrushchev had been determined even before arriving to torpedo meeting.
Couve said that fact latter part of Khrushchev’s statement was rougher than earlier part communicated to De Gaulle and Macmillan yesterday indicated new instructions had apparently been received [Page 454] from Moscow. However, he knew that already last Saturday Russians had made their plans to leave Paris tomorrow.
Lloyd thought effort should be made to arrange further quadripartite meeting to make clear it was Khrushchev who was refusing to attend. Couve and Secretary felt Khrushchev’s statement this morning and his decision to publish it made it amply clear he refused to attend. It was left for De Gaulle to decide whether to call meeting tomorrow morning (at which Soviets would presumably not appear) or to send word to Khrushchev he proposed to call one and ask whether Khrushchev would attend. Answer would presumably be no. Secretary stated that President would of course attend if tomorrow’s meeting were actual Summit Meeting but would not if it were merely another like this morning’s to discuss whether or not there would be one.
Lloyd inquired whether Khrushchev’s reference to the Summit Meeting being postponed 6 to 8 months could be interpreted as an intention to maintain the status quo, including that in Berlin, for that period. Couve thought this probable. Thompson suggested that the Soviets would need time to complete an East German Treaty and would want to take time to complete preparations and to keep pressure on the West. It was agreed that the three Western principals should take the opportunity of their presence here to discuss the new situation, and particularly its applicability to Berlin, tonight or tomorrow but that care should be taken there be no hint of concern over Berlin. Lloyd asked the United States attitude toward a 6-8 month adjournment of Summit Meeting and the Secretary replied that while we would presumably always be glad to meet whenever there was any prospect of useful negotiations, the President could not at this time commit his successor.
It was agreed that the Secretary, Couve and Lloyd would report to NAC on May 18.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 396.1–PA/5–1660. Confidential; Priority. Repeated to Bonn, London, and Moscow.↩
- See Document 168.↩