Office of the Historian

98. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, February 28, 19561

Washington, February 28, 1956.

SUBJECT

  • China Trade Controls

PARTICIPANTS

  • Sir Roger Makins, British Ambassador
  • The Secretary
  • Francis Wilcox, Assistant Secretary, IO
  • Outerbridge Horsey, Director, BNA

The Ambassador referred to the discussion of this subject during Prime Minister Eden’s visit and, a good deal of time having passed, asked when the British could hope to have our comments on the list which they had given us. Sir Roger also asked if we would have any objection to their giving the same list to the French.

Sir Roger said that there was a good deal of pressure to fix a date for the next meeting for the Consultative Group in Paris.

The Secretary said that he thought there was no reason for delaying the fulfillment of the commitments made during the Eden visit and there was no intention on our part in engaging in delaying tactics. However, the issue was a complex one and he would in any case see that word was got to the British as soon as possible.

  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 493.009/2–2856. Confidential. Drafted by Horsey.↩