110.11 DU/9–2454

The Secretary of State to the President

secret

Dear Mr. President: I am back at the Department for a couple of days after stopping off for three days in New York to attend the [Page 1263] United Nations session.1 I made my major speech there yesterday and then flew down here. I leave tomorrow, Saturday, for London for the Nine-Power Conference on a substitute for EDC.

[Here follow seven paragraphs dealing with meetings which took place in New York during the United Nations session, meetings with British, Mexican, Australian, and Indian officials.]

I am just about to go to the NSC meeting on Europe and China.2 I have the impression that it may be possible to salvage a European military set-up which will bring the Germans in, but that the political foundation for it all will remain wobbly and unstable. However, latest advice from Paris—Murphy saw Mendes-France last night—indicate that Mendes-France is very chary about proposing to the French Parliament the admission of Germany to NATO. I fear he may attach conditions in terms of what Germany, Britain and the United States will do which will be unacceptable to us. No doubt this London Conference will be a grave affair.

Trieste again seems on the verge of settlement, but in view of past experience I must emphasize the word “verge” rather than the word “settlement”.3

With best wishes to you and Mamie, I am

Faithfully yours,

Foster
  1. Documentation concerning United Nations affairs is presented in volume iii.
  2. A memorandum of discussion at the NSC meeting of Sept. 24 is printed infra.
  3. Documentation concerning Trieste is presented in volume viii.