119. Memorandum of a Conversation Between the Secretary of State and the Director of Foreign Operations (Stassen), Washington, October 26, 1956, 4:10 p.m.1
Governor Stassen said he wished to develop the idea which he had expressed at the NSC Meeting,2 namely, that we should let the Russians know that we would accept for the satellites some neutralized status like that of Austria. He suggested this might be done through diplomatic channels or through Tito.
I expressed doubt that it was desirable to use any such channels as the Russians could publicize what was happening and give the revolutionary elements the impression that we were working secretly with the Russians behind their backs. I said that I would give thought to some possibility of getting the idea across otherwise, although I doubted that we should go so far as to seem to commit these countries to an Austria-type neutralization.
- Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, General Memoranda of Conversation. Secret; Personal and Private. Transcribed by Bernau on October 28.↩
- See Document 116.↩
- Macomber initialed for Dulles.↩