Office of the Historian

790.00/1–1051

Memorandum of Telephone Conversation, by the Deputy Under Secretary of State (Matthews)

top secret
[Washington,] January 10, 1951.

Participants: Mr. Christopher E. Steel, British Minister
Mr. Matthews–G

I telephoned Mr. Steel at midnight last night and referred to our discussion earlier in the evening when he informed us of the message transmitted by the Commonwealth Prime Ministers and Mr. Bevin’s personal message to Ambassador Franks. I said that I had just come [Page 48] from the Secretary’s home where he had gone over the two messages.1 I said that the Secretary had been considerably surprised at the substance of the messages and had found it very difficult to believe that they had been sent after the President’s reply to Prime Minister Attlee had been received and considered. I said that he had requested me to ask Mr. Steel to ascertain from London whether in fact the messages he had conveyed to us had not been sent prior to consideration of the President’s reply and were not, therefore, out of date.

Mr. Steel expressed the personal opinion that the messages had been sent prior to receipt of the President’s reply, but did not know this to be the fact. He said he would telephone London early this morning and let me know the results of his inquiry. (He did not seem surprised at the Secretary’s reaction.)

H. F[reeman] M[atthews]

  1. Bevin’s message to Franks is apparently the one covered in the note infra. In addition, according to telegram 3827, January 10, from London, not printed, the Foreign Office sent a further message to Washington to the effect that the United States must recognize that in suggesting a new approach the United Kingdom was acting from the friendliest motives. (741.022/1–1051)

    Telegram 3827 summarized the discussions of the Commonwealth Prime Ministers concerning Korea and China which culminated in the Comonwealth Prime Ministers’ message urging that the United States sit down to negotiate with the People’s Republic of China in the context of a conference of the great powers. U.S. objections to this proposal on the grounds that a cease-fire should be a precondition to such talks are contained in telegrams 3337 and 3338, January 10, to London, pp. 50 and 51.

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