Preparations for the Summit Conference 433



    The Secretary expressed some concern that if this study on missiles
and other means of delivery were to be isolated, that might enable
Khrushchev to say that he had succeeded in banning the bomb. He
would hope that all the specific measures could be taken up and that we
could work out something along the lines of the U.K. draft.
    General de Gaulle then turned to Mr. Macmillan and said, "How
far will you go on Berlin and how far will you not go?"
    Mr. Macmillan did not reply.
    The President said that on Berlin he thought we could talk about
some possible reductions in the level of forces. He wondered if we
should talk to Khrushchev on the basis of his paper," leaving out of
course the last part which would lead to a treaty with the GDR.
    General de Gaulle said he felt we should not even tacitly accept a
change in the status of Berlin in two years.
    The President said he would not accept anything for two years that
would reduce our rights in any respect. If a formula could be found
maintaining all the essentials, and at the end of two years providing for
a
plebiscite instead of a free city then perhaps he might accept.
    General de Gaulle smiled and said that this was not in the Soviet
paper.
    Mr. Macmillan said that on the basis of his past tactics Khrushchev
will try and start on the basis of our Geneva plan and move on from
there.
    The President said that the Chancellor had emphasized that there
was a great difference between a two-year period and a ten-year pe-
riod.12 He seemed to feel that beyond ten years everything would be
wonderful or Berlin would be gone. He could not see the difference be-
tween two or five years. We should try and ascertain exactly what
Adenauer was thinking. The President said he did not believe we could
go on forever just saying, "No," taking a completely negative position
in
which there was certainly a breaking point, on a situation which we are
all agreed, is fundamentally a weak one.
    General de Gaulle said that he felt that when Adenauer spoke of ten
years he meant keeping the status quo indefinitely.
    The President said that he had raised certain practical points that
had not been dealt with.
    General de Gaulle inquired what these points were.




    1'See footnote 4 above.
    12See Document 161.