DEPARTMENT OF STATE Memorandum of Conversation
Date: April 22, 1949 Subject: ------
Participants: The Secretary M. Paul Reynaud
I received M. Paul Reynaud today at the request of the French Embassy. He offered me his congratulations on what he termed the very favorable reception which the Senate Foreign Relations Committee had accorded the MAP. I told him that on the whole I thought the plan had been favorably received. I pointed out, however, the Congress did not always, at first, accept things as they were presented, and that I foresaw that some explaining would be necessary to convince both Congress and public opinion in this country of the desirability of considering the Atlantic Pact and the Military Assistance Program as necessary complements. I recalled the initial difficulty and the final success in convincing the people and the Congress of the necessity and desirability of the ERP.
M. Reynaud made reference to "the dictator's smile in the Kremlin." I told him that in my opinion we could expect the Soviets to blow hot and cold for a long time to come and that this period would not be without its dangers.
In closing M. Reynaud stated that the picture in France was looking much better and that the recent cantonal elections had not only further isolated the communists from the remainder of the French body politic but had also reduced their representation to a negligible 44 seats.
EUR:WE:EO'Shauhnessy