Foreign Relations of the United States, 1949, The Near East, South Asia, and Africa, Volume VI

868.00/5–2549: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Secretary of State, at Paris

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Washington, May 25, 1949—8 p. m.

Telac 13. This is summary reply to Actel 12.¹

1. Gromyko proposal on Greece. See Telac 14.² Only other development not covered in Secretary’s book³ and in telegrams this subject repeated AmEmbassy Paris is 779 May 24 to Athens which is being repeated now. Our first reactions to Brit observations (Telac 14) are the following: (1) Brit proposal to embark on direct big power negotiations over Greece outside UN framework would seem contrary our respective press releases May 20 and would undercut fundamental position we have taken on negotiations with Soviets in forums where parties directly affected are not represented. Secretary will recall emphasis placed by us on this point at time of Soviet agitation for Stalin–Truman talk. We still believe, therefore, UN should somehow remain in picture but are willing to discuss with Brit ways and means of finding UN method for further discussions with Soviets and Greeks. (2) We question desirability of expanding talks to include relatively unrelated questions such as Corfu, Turkey, Cyprus, as implying propriety great power forum for such problems. (3) Dept believes discussion on Greece should not be rushed and that for time being coordination with Greek Govt might best be handled through Washington. Greek Govt’s attitude understood to depend somewhat on Russian attitude displayed in CFM re Germany. Hence, present discussions with Bevin might be kept on tentative basis. See also 779 May 24 to Athens being repeated now.⁴

[Here follows the portion of this telegram dealing with Middle Eastern questions.]

Webb

1. Dated May 25, not printed; in it Secretary Acheson reported that he expected soon to discuss with Bevin several issues including the recent Soviet proposals on Greece, and he asked for additional materials on the problem (868.00/5–2549).
2. Dated May 25, not printed; it transmitted the texts of the two papers prepared by the British Foreign Office included as Enclosures A and B to Hoyer Millar’s letter of May 25 to Rusk, supra.
3. The reference here is to the collection of papers on Greece prepared by the Department of State for Secretary Acheson for his use in connection with possible discussions in Paris on Greece. The “briefing book” included a five-page chronology of recent peace proposals and conciliation activities, the text of the Greek guerrilla peace appeal of April 20 (see footnote 3 to Rusk’s memorandum of conversation, May 5, p. 305), Foreign Secretary Bevin’s telegram to the British Embassy, and the papers on Greece prepared by the Department of State and included as Annexes A and B to Rusk’s memorandum of his May 19 conversation with Hoyer Millar, pp. 325 and 326.
4. During his meeting with President Truman on May 26, Acting Secretary of State Webb read this message. The President felt the Department’s approach was sound, but he understood that he was not giving final approval to any specific action with regard to the matters discussed (memorandum by Webb of Meeting with the President, May 26, Secretary’s Memoranda, Dot 53 D 444, Secretary’s Meetings with the President). Lot 53 D 444 is a comprehensive chronological collection of the Secretary of State’s memoranda and memoranda of conversations for the years 1947–1953, as maintained by the Executive Secretariat of the Department of State.