740.5/1–2451: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Bruce) to the Secretary of State
4321. Please pass Finletter. At luncheon today General Eisenhower1 in characteristically tactful and skillful manner outlined generally the increased demands for stationing of American personnel and for affording facilities for installations in France. He pointed to necessity of making advance preparations of a public relations nature for such steps. Moch responded that he realized necessity; that he had no funds whatever availably in French budget for such contributions, but that he realized long-developing situation greatly expanded ideas far beyond those already brought to French Government would be presented. He said that he would meet them sympathetically and would support them actively from a military standpoint but that he would have to take into consideration certain local political necessities.
I regard his reaction as having been highly favorable, especially as it was expressed before leading military figures French Chiefs of Staff. Afterwards I talked in some detail about this subject to General Vernoux and some of Moch’s immediate Cabinet. They all recognize the importance and necessity of what we propose to do but would like, as I have previously suggested by cable, to have such projects initiated, [Page 448] if possible, under cover of NATO determinations. Meanwhile, 1 suggest that we proceed with those of immediate urgency on service-to-service basis, keeping the French Foreign Office fully informed on fundamentals therewith connected.
- General Eisenhower and his party arrived in Paris from Frankfurt on January 23 and departed for Iceland on the morning of January 25. While in Paris, the General apparently met with Pleven, Moch, General Koenig, and Field Marshal Montgomery. The message printed here appears to be the only report on his meetings in Paris at this time in the files of the Department of State.↩