169. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Department of State1
Dulte 9. After Quai d’Orsay dinner May 4 for Foreign Ministers Secretary had talk with Mollet. Mollet dwelt on his strong and continuing interest in European unification. Secretary told him that US and the President personally continued to be convinced of the necessity of progress along these lines. Secretary told Mollet that he had had conversation on the matter just the other day with President, who had said that his view on European unification had not changed since his London speech in June 1951.2 Mollet expressed interest in seeing copy of speech, which Secretary is sending him today.
Secretary told Mollet that if at any time Mollet felt that a statement by him or the President might be helpful in advancing the cause of European unity, we would be glad if he would let us know and could be confident that we would be sympathetically disposed. Mollet showed real interest and inquired how he should approach Secretary if he desired such a statement. Secretary replied that the natural approach would be through Dillon at the Paris Embassy.
Conversation closed with Mollet saying that President’s continued interest in this matter was a great encouragement to him and would strengthen him in his fight for progress toward European unity.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 740.00/5–556. Confidential. Dulles was in Paris for the Ministerial meeting of the North Atlantic Council, May 4–5.↩
- Reference is to the speech made by General Eisenhower, then Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, before the English Speaking Union in London on July 3, 1951. For text of the speech, see Department of State Bulletin, July 30, 1951, pp. 163–165.↩