No. 843

Editorial Note

The French Prime Minister, René Pleven, arrived in Washington on January 29 for a series of three meetings with President Truman and Secretary of State Acheson. During Pleven’s conversations with the President, the subject of Yugoslavia was not discussed. However, according to a memorandum by Acheson’s Special Assistant Lucius D. Battle, Acheson discussed Yugoslavia with Pleven during an informal meeting on the night of January 29 but no record of this conversation has been found in Department of State files. In the final communiqué issued at the conclusion of Pleven’s visit, Yugoslavia was not mentioned nor was it included in the Department of State report to the National Security Council (NSC 105) of February 23, entitled “Results of the Conversations Between the President and the French Prime Minister.” For documentation on Pleven’s visit to Washington, see Documents 139 ff.

Two months later, the French President, Vincent Auriol, accompanied by Foreign Minister Robert Schuman, visited Washington for conversations with President Truman and Secretary Acheson. The main subject was the Far East and once again Yugoslavia was not discussed in the formal meetings which ended on April 2. For documentation on Auriol’s visit, see Documents 156 ff.