Editorial Note
The Secretary of State had a further conversation with Greek Foreign Minister Tsaldaris at Paris on November 8. The bulk of their conversation dealt with Greek case before the General Assembly. Two paragraphs of the Secretary’s memorandum of conversation (drafted by Gerald A. Drew) deal with the aid program as follows: “I went on to explain that our compliance with the request of Greece for an increase in its Army of 15,000 men would require appropriation of additional funds by Congress. I pointed to the danger that the Soviet Government might seize the opportunity to relax its pressure either in Berlin or in Greece for the purpose of lulling American public opinion into the false belief that a continuation of our Greek Aid program was no longer necessary.”; and “In leaving Mr. Tsaldaris asked if he could make any statement at this time to the Press with regard to an agreement to an increase in the Greek Army. I asked him [Page 182] to say nothing about this until he heard further from me on the subject stating that in any case any such announcement should appropriately be made in Athens in consultation with the American Ambassador.”
A copy of the Secretary’s memorandum of conversation was sent to Mr. Baxter by the Secretary’s office on December 6 (Mr. Baxter’s memorandum of December 8 to Mr. Satterthwaite, 868.20/12–848).