Secretary’s Memoranda: Lot 53 D 444: Memoranda of Meetings with President

Memorandum by the Acting Secretary of State

confidential

Meeting With the President, Thursday, May 18, 19501

demand for reducing rumanian legation

I informed the President of our difficulties in reducing our personnel in Czechoslovakia and in Rumania,2 and pointed out that we desired to hold on in those countries as long as we could, even though we ran certain risks and were subjected to certain indignities. He agreed, but was particularly anxious that we neglect no opportunity to show our displeasure. He even suggested blocking of funds, but I told him I thought our program as worked out was better, and he agreed.3

James E. Webb
  1. The Secretary of State or, in his absence, the Acting Secretary of State, met with the President at least once a week to report on major foreign policy problems. A separate memorandum was prepared for each topic discussed.
  2. For documentation on the worsening of relations with Romania, see pp. 1052 ff.
  3. According to his brief memorandum of a meeting with Senator Tom Connally, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Acting Secretary of State Webb informed the Senator of the new Czechoslovak action to reduce Embassy personnel, and “indicated it might lead to very serious consequences” (611.49/5–2450).