Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, The Conference of Berlin (The Potsdam Conference), 1945, Volume I

811.4611/5–1645

No. 13
The Acting Secretary of State to the President

top secret

[ Washington ,] May 16, 1945.

Memorandum for the President

Subject: M. Bidault’s Visit to Washington

Secretary Stettinius requested me to convey to you the information contained in his telegram No. 6 of May 16, in which he states that the French Foreign Minister, M. Bidault, who is arriving in Washington tomorrow, expects to make a strong plea to you to have General de Gaulle included in the proposed meeting between Mr. Churchill, Marshal Stalin and yourself. A copy of the Secretary’s above-mentioned telegram is enclosed.

When you receive M. Bidault, it is suggested that you might care to open the subject of de Gaulle by referring to the question which you were asked at the press conference yesterday; that is as to whether a meeting of the Big Five would take place at San Francisco and to your reply, which was interpreted by the correspondent as excluding de Gaulle from the forthcoming meeting. This might give you the opportunity of saying that you yourself would be very glad to have de Gaulle invited to the forthcoming meeting, which would then be a meeting of the Big Four, but that in as much as it had to be acted upon by common agreement, you would put the matter up to Mr. Churchill and Stalin.

Joseph C. Grew

[Enclosure]¹

The Secretary of State to the Acting Secretary of State

top secret

San Francisco , May 16, 1945.

6. To Grew[,] Acting Secretary [of] State, Washing[ton,] D. C. from Stettinius, UNCIO, San Francisco, California.

Please inform the President that M. Bidault, who left here 10:00 a.m. this morning for Washington, told me today he expects to make a strong plea to President Truman to include de Gaulle in proposed meeting of the President, Churchill and Stalin and said that France if included in such meetings could be helpful in European questions and might cause difficulties if excluded. Bidault left here well pleased with inclusion in big-power group and has been fully cooperative. I feel we have been successful in measurably improving relations with the French during his stay here.

Please tell Bidault of my appreciation of his collaboration and my conviction that our two countries must work closely together in these difficult times ahead.

1. Not attached to the file copy of Grew’s memorandum; printed from the file copy of Stettinius’ telegram (file No. 740.00119 EW/5–1645).