Proceedings of the Summit Conference 461



175. Memorandum of Conversation

US/MC/37                                 Paris, May 17, 1960, 10 a.m.

SUBJECT
    Invitation to Khrushchev for First Summit Meeting
PARTICIPANTS
    U.S.                               France
    The President                      President de Gaulle
    Secretary Herter                   M. Couve de Murville
    Colonel Walters                    M. Andronikov
    U.K.
    Prime Minister Macmillan
    Foreign Secretary Lloyd
    Mr. Zulueta

    The President began by speaking of the large amount of construc-
tion he had seen in the Paris area.
    General de Gaulle said that the center of Paris was heavily built but
that there was a great deal of construction underway in the suburbs. He
said he had not seen the President since Washington and he had really
been struck by the tremendous amount of construction in New York,
and that this new construction was light and airy and did not suffocate
the city. San Francisco was also a great city, and New Orleans was vis-
ibly forging ahead.
    At this point General de Gaulle was handed a press release1 con-
cerning an impromptu press conference Khrushchev had held on the
sidewalk in front of.the Soviet Embassy in which he had said he was
going home but would hold a press conference before he went.
    The President said that when Khrushchev had begun his personal
attack on him he had been inclined to let his Dutch temper get the better
of him but he had decided to say nothing and not even look at
Khrushchev. The President said that both he and Mr. Macmillan had
been greatly impressed by the skill and dignity with which General de
Gaulle had handled an extremely awkward situation. It could not have
been handled better.


    Source: Department of State, Central Files, 396.1/5-1760. Secret; Limit
Distribution.
Drafted by Walters and approved by Goodpaster on May 18 and in S on May 20.
The con-
versation took place at the Elysee Palace. A summary of this conversation
was transmitted
in Secto 37 from Paris, May 17 at midnight. (Ibid., 396.1-PA/5-1760) For
two other brief
accounts of this conversation, see Macmillan, Pointing the Way, p. 208 and
Eisenhower,
Waging Peace, p. 556.
    1 Not further identified. Regarding the press conference, which took
place at 9:25
a.m., see Cmd. 1052, p. 10.