materialabouttheleadershewouldmeet.IndeferencetothePresident’s
predilections,thetalkingpointssoughttoturneachmeetingtothegreatest
extentpossibleintoasetpiece.Theywerebrokendownintotheissuesthe
variousleaderswerelikelytoraise;theylistedthesuggestedresponsesand
warnedaboutsensitivetopicstoavoid.
Ialreadyhadsomeexperienceoftheimportanceofthispreparationfor
Nixon.ThemeetingofanynewpersonfilledNixonwithanundefineddread.He
fearedbeingconfrontedwithsomeunexpectedquestion,someunanticipated
issue,orsomelineofargumentforwhichhewasnotpreparedandwhichmight
thenmakehimappearlessincontrolofeventsthanhisself‐imagerequired.He
thereforeinsistedonbriefingpapersthatsetoutthepossiblecourseofthe
conversationinmeticulousdetail.ButsinceNixondidnotwanttoadmitthathe
neededguidance,hewouldimposeonhimselftheextraordinarydisciplineof
committingthesememorandatomemory.Andtoshowhowwellhehaddone,as
wellastoplaythelittlegameswhichsodelightedhim,hewouldskateascloseas
hedaredtotheedgeofwhathehadbeenadvisedtoavoid.Hesometimescutit
veryfine,ashisadvisersinwardlysquirmed,butheneverwentovertheprecipice.
AsAirForceOneheadedforEurope thePresident,inadditionto
memorizingthepoint‐by‐pointanalyses,busiedhimselfwithalongessayonde
Gaulle,adaptedfromabookIhadwrittenontheNATOalliancecalledThe
TroubledPartnership.[
Thisbooksoldmodestly,ascouldbeexpectedofatomeonNATO
affairs,exceptinonecitywhereitsoldunusuallywell.Uponinvestigation,itwasfoundthatthe
mainbookstorehadplaceditontheshelfundermarriagemanuals.]Ifoundmyself
anticipatingournextdayswitheagerness. Iwasofcoursereturningtothe
continentwhereIwasborn;buttherealreasonsformyinterestwerethe
geopoliticalrealitiesandhistoricaltiesbetweencountriessharingsimilar
histories,values,andinstitutions.
Laterwebecamejadedwithairportreceptions,butitwouldbehardto
exaggeratethethrillwhenAirForceOnearrivedinBrusselsafterdark.Assoonas
thedooroftheplaneopened,wewerebathedinthearclightsoftelevision.Ared
carpetstretchedpastanhonorguard.Thegentle,sensitiveKingBaudouinofthe
BelgiansstoodatthefootoftheramptogreetthePresident,whoproclaimed,in
hisbriefarrivalstatement,thatthetripwouldinaugurateanewsearchforpeace.
HequotedWoodrowWilson,alwaysoneofhisheroes.TherewereNATOaswell
asBelgiandignitaries—technicallythevisittoBrusselswastocallatNATO