Conference files, lot 60 D 627, CF 203

No. 377
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State

top secret

As we left the Council Meeting for the intermission,1 Mr. Molotov held out his hand in greeting to me, and I got the impression from this, and also from what Mr. Bohlen had told me Ambassador Zarubin had said,2 that Mr. Molotov might want to exchange a word with me.

Accordingly, I walked down the corridor with him, and told him somewhat hurriedly and briefly that in my opinion, we had adequately [Page 863] exhausted discussion on the first item of the agenda so far as the regular meetings were concerned. I said that if we really wanted to make any progress, there should be an interval during which the Three Western Powers could exchange views privately and then have a private conversation with him.

Mr. Molotov seemed at first prepared to agree outright, but then said “I will consider”.

Mr. Troyanovsky and our Mr. Lustgarten were present to interpret. Otherwise we were alone.

John Foster Dulles
  1. For a report on the fourth plenary meeting of the conference, see Secto 43, supra.
  2. For a record of Bohlen’s luncheon with Zarubin earlier in the day, see the memorandum by Bohlen, Document 375.