253. Memorandum of Conversation1
SUBJECT
- British Entry in the EEC
PARTICIPANTS
- Ambassador Charles Lucet, French Embassy
- Mr. John M. Leddy, Assistant Secretary, EUR
- Woodward Romine, French Affairs
Ambassador Lucet stated that he wished to discuss a number of items, particularly De Gaulle’s press conference,2 the most important part of which was the UK application. He said that De Gaulle naturally had been obliged to speak of the very difficult problems which must be solved before the UK could enter the Common Market, and that both Wilson and Brown were aware of the General’s thoughts on these matters.
Mr. Leddy said it seems to him the General had spoken more strongly in 1967 than in 1963 on the subject of UK entrance. Ambassador Lucet replied that in 1963 there may have been some British misunderstanding about the French position. Macmillan may not have been entirely clear about the General’s thoughts, but this time the British knew what the General was going to say. Ambassador Lucet continued that the problems of agriculture and the Commonwealth are perhaps the most difficult. Mr. Leddy commented that the British had, he thought, accepted negotiation on the agricultural question. Ambassador Lucet said that not just France has difficulties with the British on agricultural [Page 577] and “technical” matters, but France is more willing than its partners in the EEC to speak openly about them. The Italians, he stated, could in no way make concessions to the British on agricultural questions. British membership, he said, is not for today, not for 1967. The only solution seems to be to find some formula for British association or to postpone consideration of British entry.
Mr. Leddy commented that De Gaulle in his defense of the Common Market sounds like Jean Monnet. Ambassador Lucet replied that De Gaulle has always believed in the Common Market and is very close to Monnet’s views on this matter, but that he simply does not want Mr. Hallstein as the Prime Minister of Europe.
Ambassador Lucet said that the conclusion of the Kennedy Round was a great success. The French, and particularly Couve, have always wanted this negotiation to succeed. It is a revolutionary step in which we have made an agreement on grains and food aid. Mr. Leddy agreed that the results of the Kennedy Round were a great success and recalled that the food aid plan was a French idea. Ambassador Lucet said that with the great cuts in tariff in France, “We will all be driving Cadillacs.”
Returning for a moment to De Gaulle’s press conference, Ambassador Lucet said that he did not care for the Reston article in the May 19 New York Times commenting on the press conference. He was offended by Reston’s facetious remark to the effect that the General disagrees with the British opinion that the Americans are really members of the human race. Mr. Leddy replied that Mr. Reston is very tough on everyone from time to time, not just General De Gaulle.