100. Memorandum of a Conversation Between the President and the Secretary of State, White House, Washington, February 27, 1956, 4 p.m.1
1. I spoke to the President about the future of Ambassador Luce. I said that she had told me Saturday night2 that she was entirely agreeable to staying on as Ambassador to Italy if the President and I so desired. But under these circumstances she would hope that the President would make clear to President Gronchi his confidence in her and that he was asking her to stay on because she was such a friend of Italy and could help relations.
The President said that he concurred in this recommendation. He thought it would be a mistake to change Ambassadors at this time and he did not see any other particularly adequate post for her.
I then spoke to the President about the somewhat neutralist tendency of President Gronchi and his ambition to play some sort of role as intermediary between the Soviet Union and the United States. I said that the Italian Government did not sympathize with this and that the major purpose of Gronchi’s visit would be accomplished if President [Page 337] Eisenhower could make clear to Gronchi that he thought such a course for Italy would have disastrous consequences for Italy insofar as United States’ relations were concerned. The President said he would be glad to do this. I suggested that the seating arrangements at the luncheon might be such as to put them beside each other, where he could talk informally along this line. We then got the seating arrangements and discussed possibly rearranging them. The President also said that he would try to hint at this in the toast which he would give. [Here follows discussion of subjects other than Italy.]