500.CC/6–1244
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State87
The British Ambassador called at his request. He said he desired to take up the matter of the proposed conversations in July between the four large nations on the postwar security proposal. (I may say here that in this conversation I failed to understand clearly what the British Ambassador meant in certain important respects. I thereupon reopened this conversation over the telephone on the morning of June thirteenth when the British Ambassador fully clarified what he said he had in mind to say in the conversation on June twelfth. I am, therefore, combining the two conversations and eliminating some of my misunderstandings in connection with the conversation of June twelfth.) The Ambassador said that it was felt that Sir Alexander Cadogan would come to represent the British Government, and he then proceeded to indicate rather definitely that he, the Ambassador, would remain here to cooperate in the conversations. I understood him to say that he would serve as a representative of Eden in addition to Cadogan. He inquired if I thought he could be of use. I promptly said that, of course, he was always of great use in anything with which he is connected. The Ambassador said that his situation [Page 642] would depend on Eden’s final word and by that he meant on any possible change of mind on Eden’s part.
I informed the Ambassador that we had heard nothing from the Russians but had instructed our Ambassador to remind them about making a reply to our invitation.88 He was pleased with this. I then said that we have heard nothing from the British about sitting in with us and China and that it would be most calamitous if this project should fail.89 He felt that his Government would be agreeable and said he would bring the matter up further with them at once and advise me.90 The Ambassador agreed that we could not exchange documents with the British until we had heard from the Russians.
- Copy transmitted to London in instruction 4221, June 22, not printed.↩
- Telegram 1469, June 10, noon, to Moscow, not printed. Mr. Harriman responded in telegram 2115, June 13, 7 p.m., that he had discussed with Foreign Minister Molotov the question of a reply to the Secretary’s invitation to confer on a world security organization, and Mr. Molotov had indicated that the Soviet Government was actively working on the matter and would make a reply to the invitation in the very near future (500.CC/69a; 67).↩
- Perhaps Mr. Hull had not yet seen a Foreign Office reply which Under Secretary Stettinius had sent to him on June 5 (supra).↩
- No record of a further communication on this subject found in Department files.↩