November 5, 1952
Meeting with the President
Subject: Canadian Trip
I informed the President of the invitation which I had received from the Canadian Government to go to Ottawa on the 21st and 22nd of November.
The President was pleased that the Canadian Government had done this and not only approved of my going but urged that I should go.
S DA: ma
November 5, 1952
Meeting with the President
Subject: Liaison with the New Administration
I went over with the President the matter of the urgent need for liaison with the incoming Administration. I mentioned the topics listed in Mr. Nitze's memorandum as some of the instances where we were being forced daily to make decisions with which the next Administration would have to live and the resulting need for consultation with them.
I reminded the President that Mr. Lovett had already spoken about a similar need in the Defense Department and I felt sure that the same situation existed in the Treasury. The President thoroughly agreed and told me that he had already sent a telegram to General Eisenhower asking him to appoint a liaison officer to work with the Bureau of the Budget on the budget which would have to go to Congress not later than January 18. He showed me a telegram from General Eisenhower accepting this suggestion.
The President then went over with me another telegram which he will send to General Eisenhower and release this afternoon asking the General to meet with him in the White House in the next few days to arrange the broader question of liaison and the transfer of power from this Administration to the next. He hoped that the General would accept this invitation and said that if and when he did, he would ask me to return from New York and have Mr. Lovett, Mr. Snyder, Mr. Lawton and me meet with him and General Eisenhower to discuss the whole problem. If he does not get a reply, he will address another communication to the General.
S DA:ma
November 5, 1952
Meeting with the President
Subject: Mexican Air Negotiations
I expressed my doubts to the President as to the wisdom of this Administration, in its closing weeks, attempting to reach an air agreement with the Mexican Administration, also in its final weeks. The President agreed with my concern about this and said that the best thing to do was to drop the matter altogether. I took it that this was his considered decision, and I think we should act upon it as such.
Finally, the President saw no reason why I should not return to New York, holding myself ready to return here on a call from him.
S DA:ma
November 5, 1952
Meeting with the President
Subject: Korean Resolution in UN
I went over with the President the efforts which we were making to have a resolution in the UN supporting our armistice position. I said that I had the gravest doubt that I could get the GA to support this resolution in view of General Eisenhower's imminent trip and their doubt as to whether the U.S. Delegation in the UN really represented the views of the United States. I spoke of the necessity for the General, if he were well advised, to make some statement setting doubts at rest regarding his support of our armistice position.
We concluded that it did not seem practicable to raise this matter with General Eisenhower until he had expressed some willingness to go into the broader matter of liaison with us.
S DA:ma