795.00/3–1452
Memorandum by the Special Assistant to the Secretary of State (Battle)1
The Secretary went over to the Blair House with General Bradley to discuss with the President the message to General Ridgway.2 The President has approved this message and it has been sent.
The Secretary discussed with the President the proposal that the President make a statement3 in connection with General Ridgway’s package approach to the North Koreans and Chinese. The President liked the idea and also liked the tone of the speech as the Secretary outlined it to him. The Secretary said that he followed the same line which he had in a discussion with Alex Johnson and me prior to going over to see the President. I have given Mr. Shulman my notes on this. The President is expecting us to submit a draft to him.
The President said he would be perfectly willing to fly up here4 for the purpose of making this statement or for consultation with Congressional leaders. The Secretary told him that he did not think that this would be necessary and said he thought that he, Mr. Lovett and General Bradley could handle the consultation angle which they would do just prior to the actual move by Ridgway.
- The source text indicated that this memorandum was addressed to the Executive Secretariat, but the names of Johnson, Sargeant, Hickerson, and Matthews were handwritten on it, and presumably they received copies.↩
- Infra.↩
- For text of the President’s statement, given on May 7, 1952, see Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Harry S. Truman, 1952–1953, p. 321.↩
- President Truman would fly up from Key West, Florida, if necessary.↩