April 4, 1952
MEMORANDUM OF TELEPHONE CONVERSATION
Participants: Mr. Dulles Mr. Acheson
Mr. Dulles spoke with the Secretary by telephone from New York this afternoon and said that he was disturbed, as he knew the Secretary was, about holding up the Japanese Peace Treaty for this new legislation. Mr. Dulles said that if there was any way that the matter could be usefully referred, he wanted the Secretary to feel free to do so. Mr. Dulles said the effect in Japan will be quite disastrous. They are arranging for a great jubilee coinciding with their Constitution Day about the first of May, and Mr. Dulles is very hopeful that it will not be put off.
The Secretary said he felt the same way about it. He said that he had on his desk a memorandum to the President urging that it not be held up. The Secretary said that he was going to get briefed on the legislation, send the memorandum to the President and then go over and talk to him.
Mr. Dulles said it was incredible and humiliating that somebody had not thought about this before. The Secretary agreed with Mr. Dulles and said that he would like to find out what it does to us if we do not have the legislation. See if we can't get along with it.
The Secretary thanked Mr. Dulles for calling and said that he was delighted to have the fortification of Mr. Dulles' support and Mr. Dulles urged that the Secretary make it as strong as he wanted.
S/mlm