No. 409
Editorial Note
On May 11 Prime Minister Churchill delivered before the House of Commons a major foreign policy speech, which the Embassy in London characterized in advance as comparable in significance to President Eisenhower’s address on April 16. (Telegram 6003 from London, May 8; 741.00/5–853) The Prime Minister discussed the situation in Korea, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Europe and, recalling his relations with the Soviet Union during the war, proposed a meeting at the highest level of the leading world powers. At no point in his statement did the Prime Minister report on specific conversations which had been held with the United States. For the full text of his speech, see H.C. Deb. 5s, volume 515, columns 883–898; for the Embassy in London’s comments on the address, see telegram 6041, infra.
On May 20 President Eisenhower transmitted to Under Secretary Webb a memorandum suggesting that he should explore the possibility of his meeting with Churchill and Mayer in the near future in order to make some gesture which would show the essential friendship between their three countries regardless of appearance in the press. (711.11 EI/5–2053) Exchanges of communications at the end of May finally led to a proposed meeting of the heads of state at Bermuda in June. For further documentation on the Bermuda Conference, subsequently rescheduled for December, see volume V, Part 2, pages 1710 ff.