751.13/1–1051: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Embassy in France 1
3666. For Amb. Reurtels 3922,2 and 3925,3 Jan. 10. As you have pointed out Pleven’s visit even tho brief and pro forma wld at this time be most inconvenient and I do not see how we cld give him satisfaction on most of the questions he wld like to raise, particularly on IC which is now being studied by the JCS and NSC and on which I doubt a decision will be reached for several weeks. Nevertheless I concur with the excellent reasons you have set forth for such a visit and if Pleven definitely indicates he attaches real importance to such an invitation you shld indicate that you wld be glad to raise it with your govt and that you believe a favorable reply will be forthcoming. You might, however, point out to him that visit wld have to be brief and that if it were to occur shortly after Jan. 17 it is doubtful that important decisions re IC will have been reached by that time.
FYI this has been cleared with Pres who will extend invitation for pro forma two day visit if Pleven requests it.4
- Drafted by G. McMurtrie Godley of the Office of Western European Affairs and cleared with Byington, Bonbright, and Perkins.↩
- Document 139.↩
- Supra.↩
- A penciled notation at the bottom of the source text read as follows: “Cleared by Secretary with President 1–11–51 Per EUR/Mr. Godley.” According to a memorandum of conversation with the President, January 11, “The President said that if, in our judgment, it would be useful in strengthening Mr. Pleven’s position to have him come to the United States, we could go forward with that.” (Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation, lot 65D238, January 1951)↩