244. Summary of Discussion Between President Kennedy and Prime Minister Macmillan0
SUBJECT
- Meeting with de Gaulle
The President asked whether there was any point in a meeting between the Prime Minister, de Gaulle, and himself, not necessarily as a prelude to a four-power meeting. He doubted that a bilateral meeting would produce anything useful, but perhaps it was desirable just to keep in touch with him.
The Prime Minister remarked that he had tried to keep in touch with de Gaulle, drawing on their war-time association, etc. After the Algerian question was off de Gaulle’s mind and the French Army was back in France, de Gaulle might be more receptive to consideration of other problems. The Prime Minister commented that his instinct was not to disturb de Gaulle until after the EEC negotiations were completed.
In the afternoon meeting on April 28, the President remarked that he had talked to the Prime Minister about de Gaulle in the morning. They had decided to wait until after the Prime Minister’s meeting with the General in June before deciding about a tripartite meeting.
[Here follows a list of participants.]
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 396.1/4–2862. Secret. No drafting information appears on the source text. The meeting was held at the White House. Regarding Macmillan’s visit to Washington, April 27–29, see Document 391.↩