July 27, 1950
MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION WITH SIR OLIVER FRANK AND FOLLOW-UP WITH THE PRESIDENT
Proposed Visit by the President and Mrs. Truman To London in May or June, 1951
The British Ambassador called on me at his request. He had a communication from the Foreign Office which referred to a conversation between Mr. Bevin and me in London in May. This was a suggestion in order to get a preliminary idea of our attitude that it might be most desirable for the President and Mrs. Truman to pay a state visit to London in the spring of 1951. Apparently there is some big celebration being organized for that time. The proposed visit would be considered a return visit for the one paid by the King and Queen in 1938. The communication to the British Ambassador suggested that this question might have slipped my mind, and asked me to ascertain whether in general the idea appealed to the President.
Buckingham Palace informed the Foreign Office that a period between May 8 and June 5, 1951, would be the most convenient time. The Ambassador added that the discussions in London on this subject had obviously been had before the Korean episode, and London would quite understand that the President was unable to commit himself at the present time. They would like to know whether, in principle, the idea appealed to him.
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At my conference today with the President, I raised this question. The President said that he was very gratified that this suggestion should have been made and that he and Mrs. Truman would in normal times enjoy and approve the idea. In the present state of affairs and in those which it now seemed likely would exist, he thought it most doubtful that he should be out of the country.
He left it to me to make the appropriate, polite, but necessarily vague reply. Please have Mr. Perkins and Mr. Simmons consider the matter and tell me what I should say to the British Ambassador.
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