Office of the Historian

840.50 Recovery/4–1648: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Secretary of State at Bogotá 1

secret
Washington, April 17, 1948—11 a. m.

Telmar 81. Eyes only and personal for Marshall from Lovett. Reference Ambassador at Large matter covered by your 67.2 Hoffman has insisted that Ambassador’s job is most important single operation since, without man of both business and diplomatic experience and knowledge of necessary close team play between ECA and State Department, the whole enterprise is put in jeopardy. He has requested Harriman3 or Douglas in that order, saying he and Ambassador must know and trust each other. Before President would consider Harriman he wired Douglas, who confirmed statement made before departure for London that he felt he could contribute more to ECA in his present post by backing up Roving Ambassador than by undertaking latter job and losing accumulated effectiveness in UK. President, Department and Douglas all agree doubling in brass impossible. President most reluctant give up Harriman from Cabinet and I do not know whether he has reached any decision.

Hoffman tells me long list other candidates suggested to him but only name on it he felt he could consider was Clayton, who could not [Page 426] accept for reasons known to you. Am informed by grapevine two Cabinet members consulted by President reluctantly advised him Ambassador’s job more important in present world situation. Am unable confirm this.

Replying request for my own reaction, while President will sadly miss Harriman’s balanced judgment, which represents sound meeting ground between divergent Cabinet groups, and will find it very difficult to replace adequately his advice on domestic economy, I think in circumstances President justified in making proposal to Harriman. I have kept strictly out of this in order to avoid embarrassment to Harriman, to Department, and to myself because of personal relationships, but I think Hoffman’s recommendation is right.

Lovett
  1. Secretary Marshall headed the U.S. Delegation to the Ninth International Conference of American States at Bogotá, Colombia—March 30–May 2, 1948. He remained at the conference until April 24. The report of the U.S. Delegation was published in November as Department of State Publication No. 3263. For documentation regarding United States participation in the Conference, see vol. i, pp. 1 ff.↩
  2. Not printed.↩
  3. Secretary of Commerce W. Averell Harriman.↩