Foreign Relations of the United States, 1950, Western Europe, Volume III

740.5/8–1050

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State

top secret

[Washington,] August 10, 1950.

Mr. Spoeford’s Return and Report¹

The President will be very glad indeed to see Mr. Spofford before he goes back.

I discussed with the President briefly, for the purpose of getting his general point of view rather than a decision, the principal points which we¹ had discussed with Mr. Spofford this morning; that is, (1) the need for a unified NAT staff and, eventually, a unified command; (2) the necessity for a unified production board; (3) the necessity for decisions to station more American and British troops in Europe.

The President was favorably inclined to all of these ideas. I told him that the matter would be taken up with the Defense Establishment and would reach him in an orderly way, even though it might result in some strong differences of opinion.

1. This was one of several subjects discussed by Acheson and President Truman during their meeting of August 10.
1. This was one of several subjects discussed by Acheson and President Truman during their meeting of August 10.