Editorial Note
On January 19, Jean Daridan, Chargé d’Affaires of the French Embassy, called at the Department of State and left an aide-mémoire regarding the subjects which Prime Minister Pleven wished to discuss with President Truman. The subjects included Far Eastern matters in general and Indochina in particular, French policy with respect to European unity and Atlantic defense, the German problem and preparations for the Four-Power talks at the Palais Marble Rose in Paris, and the French economic and financial situation resulting from the rearmament effort and the development of inter-Atlantic cooperation to combat inflation. (Memorandum of conversation by Bonbright, with attachment, January 19, Jessup files, lot 53D211, Truman–Pleven Talks) Although Daridan promised Department of State officials that the agenda proposals would be broken down into greater detail “within the next 36 hours,” no further documents relating to the Truman–Pleven agenda have been found in Department of State files.