THE FOREIGN SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
American Embassy Brussels, Belgium January 15, 1951
Dear Luke:
You may remember that the last evening the Secretary and you were here, he mentioned the possibility that Bohlen might be considered for assignment as Political Adviser to General Eisenhower. This came up in connection, I believe, with your reference to Hummelsine's phone call to Bohlen to return to Washington regarding the Counselor position.
When General Eisenhower was in Brussels the other day he talked to me about a number of things and referred to our association during the war days saying that when he took this job he thought of me in connection with "diplomatic and political work" which would be developing, asking me how I felt about it.
The best reply I could formulate on the spur of the moment was the suggestion that I happened to hear from the Secretary while he was in Brussels that Chip Bohlen was under consideration for such an assignment. General Eisenhower made no further comment and the matter rested there.
I hope the Secretary will not regard my reference to our conversation as an indiscretion. It seemed at the moment the right thing to say.
All the best to the Secretary and yourself.
Yours,
Robert Murphy
Lucius D. Battle, Esq., Office of the Secretary of State Washington, D.C. U.S.A.