740.5/2–252
The Secretary of State to Ambassador Franks 1
My Dear Mr. Ambassador: I should appreciate your transmitting the following personal message to Mr. Eden, in reply to his message to me of February 2 delivered to Mr. Byroade by Mr. Ivor Porter on Saturday evening:2 [Page 25]
“Thank you for your message of February 2. I am delighted that it was possible for you to be in Paris at this particular time and am certain that your talks there will prove to be helpful to all of us.
“I assume that by now you will have seen a copy of my reply to M. Schuman’s recent letter,3 of which he sent you a copy, and are therefore aware of my views on the substantive questions he raised. I shall be glad to leave the specific question of inviting Chancellor Adenauer to meet with us in London next week entirely in your hands. I think we must assume at this stage that a meeting of minds on the major German questions can be achieved between the three of us, and with Adenauer. If the Lisbon meeting is to be productive of accomplishments on matters vital to the forward progress of our defensive efforts, agreement must be reached on these issues. It is my hope therefore that it will be possible to have the Chancellor join us, but I agree that the matter need not be settled for a few days. I gave these views to Ambassador Bonnet, who called on me Saturday at M. Schuman’s request to discuss this same question.”4
Sincerely yours,