May 1, 1952
MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION WITH THE PRESIDENT
Item 1. Congressman Walter
I explained to the President the unenviable position in which the State Department found itself regarding the Director for PICMME. The President was disturbed at the problem which his two conversations had created. He did not have a clear recollection of the exact course of his conversation with Congressman Walter, although he did remember having it and did remember the discussion of Mr. Gibson, but thought he had merely taken the recommendation under consideration. Later on, Mr. Dawson and Mr. Connelly had persuaded him that the Corkery appointment was the wiser one.
The President asked me if I had a solution. He thought that it was going to be necessary and possible to work with the Walter bill and he did not wish unnecessarily to antagonize Congressman Walter.
I informed the President of Mr. Warren's reservations about Mr. Corkery's acceptability to the other nations involved and his fears that they would not reply to the inquiry, and that the whole operation of the organization might be endangered. I suggested that it might be desirable, since a week had gone by without a reply, to consider accepting Mr. Walter's recommendation.
The President said he would leave the matter entirely in my hands; I was to do what I thought was right, and he would inform Mr. Dawson and Mr. Connelly of this decision.
DA
S:DAcheson:mlm
May 1, 1952
MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION WITH THE PRESIDENT
Item 2. My Correspondence with Mr. McCloy regarding the Preamble of the Contractual Arrangements
The President agreed that we should not endanger the ratification of the contractual relation by a collateral issue such as that involved here. However, he saw considerable possibilities of attacks being made on us which would be picked up during the campaign. He felt that it would, of course, be much better to do this without a letter. If a letter was necessary, he thought that one could be devised along lines which indicated that withdrawal of the paragraph was in the interest of not prejudicing the declaration and subsequent actions on this subject.
DA
S:DAcheson:mlm
May 1, 1953
MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION WITH THE PRESIDENT
Item. 3 The Locke Proposals.
The President was most appreciative of Mr. Locke's work, the importance of his suggestions, and his enthusiasm and drive. He did not see the possibility of getting the Congress to authorize additional projects and money at this time, particularly as the Senate Committee had just cut a billion dollars from our appropriation and the House will probably cut more. He wondered whether we could not make a start on some of the works most closely connected with the refugees at this time and with funds already available work out a program for subsequent presentation
I undertook to explore these possibilities with Mr. Locke in the Department.
DA
S:DAcheson:mlm
May 1, 1952
MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION WITH THE PRESIDENT
Item 4. Soviet Note.
The President approved the line which we were taking in the Soviet reply. I assured him that after we got down to a more definitive text with the British and French, I would submit it to him.
DA
S:DAcheson:mlm
May 1, 1952
MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION WITH THE SECRETARY
Item. 5 The Oatis Case
The President was most interested in the interview with Mr. Oatis and delighted to know that he was at least in good physical condition. I left with him a copy of the telegram.
DA
S:DAcheson:mlm