860F.5034/12–346
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Chief of the Division of Central European Affairs (Riddleberger)
The Czechoslovak Foreign Minister called by appointment upon Mr. Acheson this afternoon. The conversation was for the most part general hi character, in which Mr. Masaryk explained the position of Czechoslovakia vis-à-vis the Soviet Union. As there was nothing-particularly new in this part of the conversation it is not recorded here.
With respect to compensation for property of American citizens nationalized in Czechoslovakia, Mr. Masaryk said that he planned [Page 238] to give this matter his immediate attention and promised that machinery would shortly be set up in Praha to deal with this type of claim. In response to a question, he said that this machinery would handle claims arising out of nationalization for all countries.
With respect to compensation for United States owners he said that approximately $30,000,000 would be involved and that Czechoslovakia could easily arrange to pay this amount once its foreign trade was revived. He said that he was toying with the idea of ten-year, dollar bonds, which would perhaps be paid off at the rate of roughly $3,000,000 per year. The Czech dollar balances were low at present but presumably would rise as international trade revived.
With respect to the suspension of the loan negotiations, Mr. Masaryk said that he was not going to raise that question at this time. He recognized that Czechoslovak-American relations had been considerably disturbed by recent events but thought it better to let the whole question of loans be quiescent for the time being.92 He was glad to note that press attacks in both countries had considerably diminished and expressed the opinion that the Czech press had behaved with great restraint.
The Foreign Minister said he hoped to see the President on a subsequent visit but quite realized how difficult it was for the President to receive him at this time.
- Foreign Minister Masaryk together with Ambassador Slavik met with Francis T. Williamson of the Division of Central European Affairs. In the course of the conversation, Masaryk said essentially the same things he repeated to Acting Secretary Acheson later in the day. Williamson’s memorandum of conversation does, however, record the following additional remarks by Masaryk. “He [Masaryk] pointed out the need for assistance, and stressed that unless that assistance were forthcoming the reconstruction of Czechoslovakia would be seriously affected. He hoped that Czechoslovak-American relations would improve to such an extent in the near future that he could re-open the entire question of American credits. He stated, however, that he did not believe it would be opportune to raise this question at the present time.…” (711.60F/12–346)↩