181. Memorandum of Conference With President Eisenhower0
OTHERS PRESENT
- Secretary Herter, Secretary Dillon, Secretary Murphy, Secretary Merchant, Ambassador Thompson, Mr. Kohler, Secretary Anderson (first few minutes only), General Persons, Mr. Hagerty, General Goodpaster
Secretary Anderson said he had wanted to express his concern regarding any tendency to think of a joint effort with the Russians through SUNFED to aid the underdeveloped countries. The President said he had no thought of expanding the use of SUNFED, where a great many countries would be making decisions on this matter when they were supplying little or none of the resources. Mr. Anderson went on to say that he is fearful of any joint development effort with the Soviets because they use a managed currency and would be putting in money of inferior quality while we were putting in hard dollars. The President said he had simply thought of inviting the Russians to contribute resources in support of projects that had been set up and cleared by the World Bank. Mr. Anderson said that the Russians are not being invited into the IDA.
The President said that the suggestion he has been putting forth presupposes a complete change in the international atmosphere, in which the Russians would want to act cooperatively and constructively rather than in “cold war” measures. Mr. Anderson said another problem is that they would be enabled to send Soviet agents out all around the world. He said he is strongly desirous not to get into a mutual effort with the Soviets.
The President said what he has been trying to do is to hold out before the Russians the possibility of their functioning on the same basis as any other country.
Mr. Anderson said that the recent discussion over these possibilities has resulted in some of the other countries shying away from the IDA proposal and tending to favor SUNFED. The President repeated that he is not thinking of SUNFED in this connection. Mr. Anderson recalled that de Gaulle, some time ago, had said he would favor inviting the Soviets in to a joint operation.2 The President said de Gaulle had told him that France has a special task. As a result, they do not have the resources to take on projects outside the community, and did not want to let anyone else initiate efforts within the community, [Page 348] always excepting the United States. de Gaulle stressed that his effort is to try to defeat the unilateral penetration in Africa by the Soviets. At this point Mr. Anderson left the meeting.
[Here follows discussion of unrelated matters.]
Brig. Gen., U.SA.
- Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Eisenhower Diaries. Secret. Drafted by Goodpaster.↩
- The conference was held at the White House.↩
- See Document 176.↩