180. Memorandum of Conversation0

Prime Minister Macmillan’s Visit to Washington, April 27-29

SUBJECT

  • The Future of Disarmament Negotiations

PARTICIPANTS

The President noted that the Prime Minister and he had not discussed the future of disarmament negotiations. He understood that the talks at Geneva would continue until June. The Secretary said he anticipated only an interim report by June 1. We hoped to work out agreement on something. The disarmament conference, however, should stay in session. We might get a break-through on the point of inspection. The President said that was right. We should keep at it. He recommended continuing the conference beyond June 1. The Prime Minister asked whether we regarded the conference as a propaganda exercise or a real exercise. The Secretary replied that at the moment the Soviets were playing it as a propaganda exercise. It was important that we put forward only those proposals we believed in. The Russians talked of inspection of disarmament only, yet in the nuclear test field they refused to agree to inspection of a cessation of tests.

  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 600.0012/4-2862. Secret. Drafted by Burdett (EUR) and approved by the White House on May 4. The meeting was held at the White House.