033.4111 Eden, Anthony/28
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Acting Secretary of State
The British Ambassador called upon me this morning at his request. The Ambassador wished to tell me that Mr. Eden had just sent him word that if all went well so far as weather was concerned, he would arrive on the afternoon or evening of Friday, March 12, and asked that the President be informed accordingly. Lord Halifax added that Sir Alexander Cadogan had unfortunately been taken ill and would not be able to leave with Mr. Eden so that Mr. Eden’s party would consist solely of his private secretary and Mr. William Strang in addition to himself.
Lord Halifax said that Mr. Eden had suggested that during his visit in the United States he might fly out to San Francisco to speak there and also to speak in Kansas City on his way back to the East. Lord Halifax asked me what my judgment would be concerning such a plan.
I said that of course I was not informed of what the President might have in mind, but that it seemed to me that there was nothing useful to be gained by such a trip. I said I thought the stress on Mr. Eden’s visit should be laid upon his official conversations with this Government and that nothing should be done which could be misinterpreted deliberately or innocently by public opinion in this country as propaganda efforts. I said I felt sure the President would indicate his wishes to Lord Halifax when Mr. Eden arrived. Lord Halifax said he felt entirely the way I did in the matter.