Presidential Papers, Doc#992 Cable. Secret To Harold Macmillan, 3 January 1959. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower
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Doc #993

Document #992; January 3, 1959
To Harold Macmillan
Series: EM, AWF, International Series: Macmillan ; Category: Cable. Secret
The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, Volume XIX - The Presidency: Keeping the Peace
Part VI: Setbacks; November 1958 to February 1959
Chapter 15: "Debate is the breath of life"

 

Dear Harold: Thank you very much for your cable and for the expression of your views.1 This is a matter to which my associates and I have been giving consideration over a period of many weeks, but up to this moment have thought it wiser to insist upon the interdependency of the two subjects. We are immediately starting an intensive review of the whole matter and you will hear from me within, say, a week. I hope this will be satisfactory.2 As ever

1 For background on the Geneva disarmament negotiations and the linkage between atomic testing and disarmament see no. 943. Macmillan had long been convinced that the United States and Great Britain should eliminate the condition that the two issues be connected before progress in either could be made. The link was "a vague formula," he wrote Eisenhower, "impossible to define precisely." Eliminating the linkage would prevent the Soviets from blaming the United States and Great Britain for lack of progress in the talks. If the Russians were to agree to a test suspension treaty, Macmillan reasoned, they would eventually have to accept a proper control system to enforce it (Macmillan to Eisenhower, Jan. 1, 1959, PREM 11/[2860]).

2 Eisenhower had sent a draft of this letter to Under Secretary Herter, asking that it be sent by cable immediately unless Herter found something he wanted to bring to Eisenhower's attention. "In the meantime," he wrote, "please arrange for a re-examination of our position. As you know, I have felt for a long time that we were possibly being too rigid and in so doing, were hurting ourselves a bit" (Eisenhower to Herter, Jan. 3, 1959, AWF/D-H). For developments see no. 1004.

Bibliographic reference to this document:
Eisenhower, Dwight D. Cable. Secret To Harold Macmillan, 3 January 1959. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, ed. L. Galambos and D. van Ee, doc. 992. World Wide Web facsimile by The Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission of the print edition; Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996, http://www.eisenhowermemorial.org/presidential-papers/second-term/documents/992.cfm

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