171. Telegram From Secretary of State Dulles to the Department of State0
Dulte 4. Eyes Only Acting Secretary for President from Secretary.
Dear Mr. President: We have just finished our first day of formal NATO meetings, morning and afternoon. These were devoted almost exclusively to Berlin. The atmosphere on the whole was good. I made a statement which seems to have been well received. I emphasized with a map the area which the forces under your command gave up to the Soviets in order to comply with the 1944 agreement which the Soviets now denounce. Most of the statements made were strong and vigorous, the only exception being the Canadians who were rather soft.1 Most of the afternoon session was devoted to drawing up a communiqué on Berlin. You can well imagine that this was a rather harrowing experience with each one of the fifteen foreign ministers doing an editing job. The result is, I think, effective although anyone alone could have done it better. Tonight Couve de Murville is giving a dinner for the foreign ministers which I am foregoing in the interest of my digestion. Unfortunately, McElroy has been knocked out all day, but my doctor is caring for him and expects him to be in shape tomorrow when his statement will be due.
Faithfully yours, Foster.2
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 740.5/12–1658. Confidential.↩
- The Canadian statement is summarized in Polto 1718 from Paris, December 17, printed in volume VIII, Document 112.↩
- Dulte 4 bears only this typed signature.↩