No. 169
Editorial Note
On April 28, Secretary Dulles sent a memorandum to President Eisenhower in which he noted that Jean Monnet would be in New York during the first week of June to receive an honorary degree from Columbia University. Dulles stated that Bruce suggested and he agreed that from the standpoint of the European unity movement, [Page 306] it would be an excellent idea to invite Monnet to Washington for several days as an official guest. A memorandum by Burnita O’Day, dated May 4, noted that the White House telephoned the Department of State to convey President Eisenhower’s approval of Dulles’ recommendation. (840.00/5–1453)
The invitation to Monnet was formally extended by Bruce with the recommendation that Monnet meet officially with the President, the Secretary of State, the Director of Mutual Security, the Secretary of the Treasury, and certain members of Congress. (Telegram Edcol 49 to Paris, May 15; 850.33/5–1553) The Department of State was officially informed in telegram Colux 1 from Luxembourg, May 19, that Monnet gladly accepted the invitation to visit Washington June 3–4. (850.33/5–1953) Since informal arrangements for Monnet’s visit to Washington had been arranged earlier through the Department of State, the White House was able to issue a press release on May 12 announcing the official visit and explaining Monnet’s role as one of the outstanding leaders of the European integration movement. For the text of this press release, see Department of State Bulletin, May 25, 1953, page 754.
No record was found of Monnet’s meeting with President Eisenhower at the White House on the morning of June 3. For a summary of Monnet’s meeting with representatives of the Departments of State and Treasury and the Mutual Security Agency on June 3, see the memorandum by Fuller of June 4, infra. For a record of the meeting on June 5 between representatives of the Mutual Security Agency and Department of State and five officials of the High Authority of the European Coal and Steel Community, see Document 171.