No. 104 UCDA P104/5833
Memorandum by Con Cremin of a meeting
between Frank Aiken and General Dwight D. Eisenhower (Paris)
(Secret)
Paris, 31 March 1952
- The Minister expressed the desire to call on General Eisenhower1 and an appointment was arranged through Mr. McArthur for 10 a.m. this morning at SHAPE Headquarters (Roquencourt).2 I accompanied the Minister and Mr. McArthur was likewise present at the interview.
- The conversation opened with a reference by the Minister to his note of 24th December last to the American Ambassador,3 in which he conveyed the assurance on behalf of the Government that our territory would not be used as a base of attack against the United States, and sought facilities for the purchase of arms from the USA. The Minister recalled to General Eisenhower our declaration of policy before the last war to the effect that our territory would not be used as a base of attack against Britain, and mentioned that we had taken the necessary measures to implement this policy in spite of some internal opposition. He also mentioned that during the last war we had a standing army of about sixty thousand men and a total defence force of about two hundred and fifty thousand. We had, he said, recently embarked on a campaign to increase the strength of the armed forces. We recognize, however, that it is difficult to maintain a high morale in the forces unless there is some supply of modern weapons. For this reason the Government is most anxious to secure even a small quantity of modern armament. General Eisenhower replied that he appreciated the importance of having all peoples who are determined to fight for freedom equipped to do so. He had not, he said, at any time discussed with his Government the question of our being supplied with arms. He could imagine, however, that this might raise some problems. His immediate preoccupation is to secure supplies for the countries jointly associated in NATO. He feared that the announcement just made of the resignation of Mr. Charles E. Wilson4 from the post of Director of Defence Mobilisation is not a good sign and indicates that the American rearmament effort is ‘sagging at the head’.
- The subsequent conversation ranged over the economic, financial and political situation in Western Europe. General Eisenhower expressed his conviction that the European countries must, if they are to hope to achieve and maintain a decent standard of living, come together at least in the long run. The Minister expressed doubt, which the General seemed to share, as to the advisability at the present time of pushing ahead with economic integration on the ground that action of that kind is bound to cause immediate disturbance at a time when what is required is the maximum output from existing installations. The Minister also referred to the difficulties with which the EPU is presented because of the fact that its area of application is too restricted and that it does not adequately provide for a smooth flow of trade at a high level through adequate arrangements to deal with creditor countries. He instanced in this connection the problem created by the Belgian surplus at the present time, although it is precisely now that a country which is prepared to restrain internal consumption and thus make available to other Member-countries valuable materials, should be encouraged. General Eisenhower said that he is constantly coming up against problems arising from the individual policies of the Member-countries of NATO and referred to the difficulties caused by their taxation and tariff policies. Belgium had, he mentioned, last year proposed a list of products of importance for rearmament which should in the trade between Member-countries be exempt from tariffs, but this proposal had not been accepted. There is, on the other hand, he went on, a problem in connection with off-shore purchases in France because of the fact that the monies available for this purpose require that their cost be free from identifiable taxes. Difficulties which have arisen as a result of this mean that 60 to 70 million dollars which could immediately be spent for off-shore purchases in France remain unspent. He feels that what European countries should do is to determine the degree of security and the degree of well-being which they could afford by joint effort and to get together to attain these objectives. The Schuman Plan is in his view a real step in the right direction, the European Defence Community would mark further progress and there are other projects of a similar nature such as those of agriculture and of transport. The Minister expressed the view that it would be better to concentrate on progress in this direction in the political sphere rather than in the economic, and went on to argue that the fundamental difficulty in the present situation in Europe arises from the electoral systems which in many countries mean the return of Assemblies which cannot govern and the emergence of Governments who are not prepared to take and implement decisions. He suggested that an enormous improvement would come about by the adoption generally of the plurality system leading to the election of Parliaments which give Governments capable of governing and in particular clearly responsible before the electorate. General Eisenhower seemed very interested in this thesis and admitted at once that the greatest difficulty he encountered is that of getting Governments to carry out decisions which they take.
- The interview lasted over half an hour and was of a very cordial nature. General Eisenhower expressed his appreciation of the Minister's visit.
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