May 22, 1952
MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION WITH THE PRESIDENT
Item 1. Korean Negotiations
I reviewed for the President the various messages which had been coming in recently from Admiral Joy, General Clark and Ambassador Murphy, relating to the undesirable effects which were occurring in the Far East as a result of the continuance of daily meetings at Panmunjom with the vituperative propaganda of the communists which issued therefrom. I told the President that we might soon expect recommendations from General Clark and that my guess was that he would recommend discontinuance of daily meetings. I said that the Department believed that there was much to be said for this attitude and that the Department is not taking any rigid attitude that the daily meetings must continue. Indeed, we were actively at work on a proposal which would permit recessing the meetings for say two weeks or ten days, but that it was imperative at the same time to take some steps which would restore international confidence in the moral position which we had taken on the POWs. I thought that international opinion and some opinion in this country had been shaken by the Dodd-Colson episode and the continuing difficulties in the prison camps.
The President interjected that he had given Secretary Pace instructions to take vigorous measures to regain control of the camp situation. I suggested to the President that if it were possible to get two or three nations who did not have troops in Korea to undertake an impartial rescreening of the prisoners we had already screened - the nations which suggested themselves were perhaps India, Sweden and Switzerland - I thought we could then have strong international support for requesting the hearings while this took place. I said that I was not asking the President's approval of such a plan which, if possible to work out, would come to him through regular channels, but that if it did come to him
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during my absence I wanted him to know that I was strongly in favor of it.
The President said that he liked the idea. He asked the very sound question, whether the presence of any nation on such a rescreening board would interfere with the services of that same nation as a neutral observer of the armistice should one be brought about. I said that this would require careful thought.
DA
S:DAcheson:mlm
May 22, 1952
MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION WITH THE PRESIDENT
Item 2. The Present Situation regarding the EDC and the Contractual Negotiations
I went over the principal matters unresolved leading up to asking the President's advice or instruction as to whether I should take off some time today for Europe. I reported to him the letter from Mr. Eden urging that I go.
The President was strongly of the opinion that I should go. He recognized the hazards of failure but in his judgment these were more than balanced by the greatly increased possibilities of success if I should go. He said that he was most anxious to see me off, both for the personal satisfaction which this gave him and because he thought it had important effects abroad as a visual demonstration of his support for my mission. Since he and Mrs. Truman are going to the theatre this evening, he would not be able to see us off at 10 o'clock. He suggested an 8 o'clock departure with everyone arriving at the field at 7:45 p.m. This has since been confirmed.
I also went over with the President the situation regarding the Intelligence Agencies and their concern at dropping from Article 6 guarantee against prosecution of Germans who cooperated with the Allies. I told him that we were doing all we could to get the best possible result but that I thought Mr. McCloy was in a most difficult situation and I did not believe that we should jeopardize conclusion of the whole arrangements by insisting on this point, if I believed that it could not be obtained.
The president agreed with this and said he would support my judgment in the matter.
DA
S:DAcheson:mlm
May 22, 1952
MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION WITH THE PRESIDENT
Item 3. The letter on the Benton-McCarthy Suit
The President would like to give this very careful thought and have it discussed with those in the Administration who might be called as witnesses. He is anxious to support and help Senator Benton. He wishes to be sure that the method suggested - that of personal testimony of high Administration officials - in this law suit is the right way. I suggested that as a first step Mr. Fisher should discuss the matter with Mr. Charles Murphy and that when they were ready for their joint recommendations, the President might meet with some of the principal persons concerned. He thought this a good way to proceed.
DA
S:DAcheson:mlm
May 22, 1952
MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION WITH THE PRESIDENT
Item 4. Bolivian Recognition
I went over the memorandum with the President and left it with him for his consideration. He said he had been following the matter closely through the cables and had expected this recommendation and thought that it was probably the right course of action. He would like to give it some further thought.
DA
S:DAcheson:mlm
May 22, 1952
MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION WITH THE PRESIDENT
Item 5. Approval of the Message to the Dutch Government of Yesterday, which involved the statement that it was made with the President's authorization.
The President approved the attached memorandum confirming his conversation with me yesterday afternoon.
DA
Attachment: Memo.
S:DAcheson:mlm