DEPARTMENT OF STATE Memorandum of Conversation
Date: March 15, 1949
Subject: Mr. Bevin's Proposed Visit to the United States
Participants: The British Ambassador The Secretary Mr. Thompson, Deputy Director for European Affairs
Copies to: G - Mr. Rusk GA - Mr. Murphy EUR
The Ambassador said that Mr. Bevin planned to sail on March 25, arriving about March 31. He would remain here until April 8. He said Mr. Bevin wished to have several conversations with me in order that he might inform me of his thinking on various current problems, and he had expressed the hope that I would be willing to do the same. The Ambassador mentioned specifically Germany and the Far East. He felt certain that Mr. Bevin did not intend to settle any matters in these discussions, but simply to have an exchange of views. The Ambassador wished to know in order to facilitate Mr. Bevin's planning and whether I felt such talks could best be held before the signature of the Atlantic Pact or afterwards.
I mentioned that the French Ambassador had indicated that Mr. Schuman had in mind the possibility of the three of us discussing the German question while they are here. I asked whether Mr. Bevin had any such idea in mind and said that I had not been encouraging on the subject to the French Ambassador.
The Ambassador replied that while Mr. Bevin might be prepared to engage in such tripartite talks he clearly had in mind bilateral discussions with me.
I suggested that it would probably be advisable for me to talk to Mr. Bevin before the signature and said I would be very glad to do so.
The Ambassador said that Mr. Bevin did not plan to attend the United Nations meeting, unless the other Foreign Ministers did so and inquired whether I had any plans of this nature.
I said I hoped very much to avoid going to New York but I was not at all sanguine that this could be done, since there would probably be considerable pressure for me to go to New York at the time of the presentation of the Pact to the UN in order to make clear that we were not by-passing that institution.
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