396.1 GE/5–2654: Telegram

The United States Delegation to the Department of State

top secret

Dulte 122. Eyes only Secretary; Paris 339 eyes only Ambassador. Reference Dulte 107 repeated Paris 322.1 Following my confidential talk with Bidault on Monday, he and Margerie, with incredible stupidity, gave Baeyens generalized account of what I had told them in complete secrecy about my dinner with Molotov, including Molotov’s groping for word and my supplying it.

Baeyens, who tells everything, repeated this to AFP correspondent who used it. Fortunately his remarks on substance were only banalities which did no particular harm, but that one touch made it obvious to Molotov that I had personally described our conversation to Bidault. Word comes back from Russians through US correspondent that Molotov is greatly annoyed, and I think the incident has probably destroyed our small base of contact.

This demonstrates practical impossibility of speaking to French with anything like real frankness about such matters, and I will unfortunately have to act accordingly in future. I have so advised Bidault.

Smith
  1. Dated May 24, p. 902.