398.00–MO/10–1851
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Director of the Office of Eastern European Affairs (Barbour)
Subject: Soviet-sponsored Economic Conference Scheduled to be Held in Moscow December 1951
| Participants: | Mr. Gontran de Juniac, Counselor of the French Embassy; |
| Mr. Walworth Barbour, Director, Office of Eastern European Affairs. |
Mr. de Juniac called by appointment, made at his request, and stated that he had been instructed by Paris (1) to inform the Department of the French attitude toward the economic conference sponsored by the Soviets and scheduled to be held in Moscow sometime in December,1 and (2) to ascertain the US position in that connection.
The French feel that it will be undesirable for them to take the type of measures utilized in the case of the Berlin Youth Congress to prevent delegates from France attending the Moscow conference. Their feeling is that the measures taken on that prior occasion were not very effective and that in the present case governmental restrictions on the delegation would be inconsistent with French principles.
They appreciate that there are two possible lines to adopt: (1) to condemn the conference for what it is and to attempt to dissuade the anti-communists from attending, or (2) to endeavor to infiltrate the conference with anti-communists for disruptive purposes. The French position is along the first line and they point out that in any case the majority of the non-communists from France invited have already declined the invitation.
[Page 1293]I told Mr. de Juniac that the Department is still considering its position in the matter and that I would let him know as soon as there are any developments.2
- Regarding the projected Moscow Economic Conference, see the circular airgram, Document 638.↩
- Barbour called French Embassy Counselor Begougne de Juniac to the Department of State on October 24 and explained to him the American position on the projected Moscow Economic Conference as set forth in telegram Todep 261 to London, infra.↩