27. Editorial Note
Under Secretary of State Dillon visited London, Brussels, Bonn, and Paris, December 7–14, for discussions on economic issues, including the possible reorganization of the Organization for European Economic Cooperation (OEEC). In a memorandum of December 13 to Secretary of State Herter, Dillon stated that he had found the British, Germans, and Dutch favorable to the idea, and he recommended that the United States seek a decision at an upcoming meeting of the heads of state and government of the United States, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. The memorandum, along with other documentation on Dillon’s trip, is scheduled for publication in the European regional compilation in volume VII, Part 1.
President Eisenhower, President de Gaulle, Chancellor Adenauer, and Prime Minister Macmillan met in Paris, December 19–22. President Eisenhower raised the subject of improved Western cooperation in economic matters on the morning of December 19; there was further discussion that afternoon. The relevant portion of a memorandum of discussion of the latter meeting is scheduled for publication in volume VII, Part 1; memoranda of both meetings are in the Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, International Series.
A communiqué issued at Paris by the four heads of state and government on December 21 endorsed cooperation by the industrialized countries of the free world with the objectives of “(A) Furthering the development of the less developed countries, and (B) Pursuing trade policies directed to the sound use of economic resources and the maintenance of harmonious international relations, thus contributing to growth and stability in the world economy and a general improvement in the standard of living.” To that end, they agreed to call an “informal” meeting in the near future. The text of the communiqué is printed in American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1959, pages 576–577.
A Special Economic Committee, composed of representatives of Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Commission of the European Economic Community (EEC), met in Paris, January 12–13, 1960. Under Secretary Dillon represented the United States at this meeting and at meetings of the OEEC and the OEEC Council on January 14. He reported to the President on January 14 that agreement had been reached in the Special Economic Committee on all the objectives sought by the United States: “(1) a workable procedure for the reorganization of the OEEC which could lead to full U.S. participation, (2) the establishment of a working committee, including the U.S. and Canada, to discuss the [Page 64] trade problems of the Six and Seven, and (3) the establishment of a small group of capital exporting countries to better coordinate procedures for assistance to less developed countries.”
The text of the message, along with other documentation pertaining to the meeting, is scheduled for publication in volume VII, Part 1. The texts of three resolutions embodying these agreements, adopted by the Special Economic Committee on January 13 and approved by the members and associates of the OEEC on January 14, are printed in American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1960, pages 327–329. The text of a statement made by Dillon on January 12 outlining United States views is printed ibid., pages 319–326.
Dillon discussed developments concerning the negotiations on the reorganization of the OEEC with the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in an executive session on February 25. For the record of the session, see Executive Sessions of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (Historical Series), Volume XII, Eighty-Sixth Congress, Second Session, 1960 (Washington, 1982), pages 163–181. Some documentation relating to these negotiations is scheduled for publication in volume VII, Part 1. See also the compilations on trade and on investment and development in this volume.