292. Record of Telephone Conversation Between John Foster Dulles and Lovett1
The Sec said he wants L’s help on disarmament. The Sec wants to set up a new way to carry on that will be better. It has to be part of State and L agreed. One trouble, said the Sec, with Stassen was he was only interested in disarmament. The Sec needs 2–3 people he can talk with in a general way as to the lines we are following. He wants an informal panel composed of 3—Gruenther, Smith and L—he can talk to them from time to time to get their counsel and advice. He does not think it will take more than a couple of hours a month. It would be an immense service to the Sec if he can do that. L said he has been in the hospital and is leaving to recuperate until April 7 but will be available after that. It is not a formal group but the Sec would like to have it known. The Sec feels the prospects of getting any substantial result are not very good unless and until there are some solutions to political problems. But it is vitally important to keep pressing in this field and it will be disastrous if it is felt we were not interested. L said it would be better if Congress and the papers shut up so trained diplomats can work it out. The Sec referred to the last letter to Bulganin—which L approved of heartily.
- Source: Request to Lovett to join advisory panel on disarmament. No classification marking. 1 p. Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, General Telephone Conversations.↩