Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Western Europe and Canada, Volume VI, Part 2

Secretary’s Letters, lot 56 D 459, “M”

No. 605
President Eisenhower to Prime Minister Laniel¹

secret

[Washington,] July 28, 1953.

Dear Mr. Prime Minister: I have asked Douglas MacArthur, II, who, as you know, is Counselor of the State Department, to proceed to Paris to convey to you my warm personal greetings and to discuss with you informally problems of common interest. One of these which is much on our mind these days is Indo China.²

While I assume that Mr. MacArthur will seek an audience with you in company with our Ambassador, if you should want to give him any personal messages, I would be glad to receive them.

You will recall that Mr. MacArthur brought us together in Paris some two years ago and I hope that the acquaintance then begun can be renewed in the not too distant future.

With assurances of my continued respect.

Sincerely,

Dwight D. Eisenhower

1. Attached to this letter, along with Laniel’s response of July 31 (Document 607), was a covering memorandum indicating that this exchange of letters was being circulated for information to Merchant, Johnson, Bonsal, and McBride.
2. A summary of the meeting between Laniel and MacArthur, which dealt with matters relating to Indochina, was transmitted to the Department of State in telegram 409, July 31; for the text of this telegram, see vol. xiii, Part 1, p. 706.