Office of the Historian

110.11 AC/1–2352

Memorandum by Lucius D. Battle, Special Assistant to the Secretary of State 1

confidential
[Washington,] January 24, 1952.

Sir Oliver Franks left with the Secretary this morning the attached message from Mr. Eden. Mr. Acheson asked whether the message we had from the British yesterday2 which suggested that the [Page 5] quadripartite meeting be held in London before the Lisbon meeting changed this message. Sir Oliver said that that message did not change this one and that they had in fact been sent together. Mr. Eden is, therefore, hoping that the Secretary will come to London before the Lisbon meeting (for the quadripartite) as well as after the Lisbon meeting.

Mr. Acheson would like to have some thought given to the question of whether he should do this. He does not want to get in a position of giving too much attention to the British and too little to the other countries.

[Attachment]

Personal Message From Mr. Eden to Mr. Acheson

confidential

You will remember that I told you in Washington how much I hoped that you would be able to spend a few days in London after the Lisbon meeting of the North Atlantic Council.

I look forward very much to welcoming you here after the Lisbon meeting and hope that this visit will fit in with your other plans and commitments.

Washington, 23rd January 1952.
  1. This memorandum was directed to Barnes (S/S) for action by Perkins (EUR) and for the information of Byroade (GER) and Matthews (G). The points covered in this memorandum were also made in Secretary Acheson’s memorandum of his conversation with Franks, not printed. (396.1/1–2452)↩
  2. Presumably the reference here is to Perkins’ memorandum for the record, Jan. 23, supra.↩