396.1 GE/7–1854: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the United States Delegation1

confidential
priority

Tosec 568. From Secretary for Undersecretary. President asking principal radio and television networks to reserve time for Wednesday nite2 which President will use if Geneva Conference fails so that he can explain gravity of resulting situation.3 You may in your discretion inform your French colleague.

Dulles
  1. Drafted by the Secretary of State and Browne of OC/T.
  2. July 21.
  3. For background information on the President’s decision to ask for principal radio and television network time, see a memorandum of a conversation with the President by the Secretary of State, July 19, in volume xiii.

    In the memorandum the Secretary wrote as follows: “After leaving the President [on July 18] I despatched to General Smith a cable [Tosec 568] informing him of the President’s intentions and authorizing him to inform Mendes-France which he did [see telegram Secto 665, July 19, p. 1455]. Subsequently on Monday morning [July 19] I telephoned to General Smith to ascertain his views as to whether or not some announcement or ‘leak’ should be made from here as to the President’s possible speech. General Smith was of the opinion that matters were going better from the standpoint of prospective settlement and that what had already been done was sufficient. I informed the President and he concurred.” (Eisenhower Library, Dulles papers, meetings with the President)