172 Foreign Relations, 1958-1960, Volume IX



United States considered this point well taken and Germany had been
persuaded to withdraw from the Group of Four on the question of East-
West relations. What remained was the Big Three plus a NATO repre-
sentative. [9 lines of source text not declassified]
    [2 paragraphs (7 lines of source text) not declassified)
    Mr. Heeney thanked Mr. Merchant for his resume of the American
view of these questions and reiterated that the chief concern of the Cana-
dian Government in this matter was that the ad hoc nature of the Com-
mittee of Four be clearly recognized and that no de facto situation
should come about even though inadvertently, whereby a screen or su-
pervisory group would be erected between the other NATO partners
and the Western Big Three.
    For his part, Mr. Merchant said he was glad to have had such a
frank discussion with Mr. Heeney. [2 lines of source text not declassified]
    Both Messrs. Merchant and Heeney agreed that it was not neces-
sary or advisable to make any official, public pronouncements on proce-
dural arrangements developed during the pre-Summit negotiations.
    The meeting came to an end at 6:15 p.m.







68. Memorandum of Conversation


                                      Washington, January 18, 1960.

SUBJECT
    Organization of Summit Preparations
PARTICIPANTS
    Ambassador Manlio Brosio, Italian Embassy
    Minister Carlo Perrone-Capano, Italian Embassy
    Mr. Kohler, Assistant Secretary for European Affairs
    Mr. McBride, WE
    Mr. Stabler, WE

    Ambassador Brosio called at his request and referred to the strong
statement which had been made by the Italian representative to the



    Source: Department of State, Central Files, 396.1-PA/1-1860. Confidential.
Drafted
by Stabler and initialed by Kohler.