Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Germany and Austria, Volume VII, Part 1

396.1 BE/1–854

No. 329
The Secretary of State to Foreign Minister Bidault ¹

confidential

[ Washington , January 8, 1954.]

I appreciate very much your prompt reply² to my suggestion that you, Mr. Eden, and myself meet together prior to the Berlin Conference.³ In view of the reservations which both you and Mr. Eden have with respect to a meeting with Chancellor Adenauer, I will defer to your wishes.

With respect to the place of our meeting, I am impressed with the reasons advanced for meeting in Berlin, particularly because of the uncertainties of flying weather. Therefore, I am agreeable to the suggestion that we arrive in Berlin on January 22nd and have the 23rd, and if necessary the 24th, for our talks, if this is convenient to you.

Since we are not to meet with Chancellor Adenauer before the Berlin Conference, I think it is important that he know we wish to maintain close contact with him on those aspects of the Berlin Conference relating to Germany, and with this in mind, would you see objection to our having a brief meeting in Berlin with Dr. Grewe prior to January 25 in order to make his acquaintance? I plan to have Ambassador Conant with me in Berlin for those meetings concerning Germany and assume you and Mr. Eden will also have your High Commissioners there. In these circumstances, Dr. Grewe would presumably be a channel of communication with Chancellor Adenauer which our representatives will frequently use.

I am sending a similar message to Mr. Eden.

1. Transmitted to London in telegram 3529, Jan. 8.
2. Document 324.
3. Document 321.