Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Western Europe and Canada, Volume VI, Part 1

Eisenhower Library, John Foster Dulles papers

No. 477
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State¹

top secret

Washington, June 27, 1954.

Mr. Churchill said he wanted me to know how highly I was regarded personally by Mr. Eden, and that he, Mr. Churchill hoped that that viewpoint was reciprocated. I assured him that it was.

Sir Winston spoke of the possibility of his having a high-level meeting with the Russians, which might perhaps be preliminary to a three-power meeting. He said he had in mind possibly going to Stockholm to see whether there were “consenting minds” which would make it profitable to have a three-power meeting. He referred to the President’s suggestion that the President might make a brief personal appearance at such a meeting, but that in the main it would have to be carried by me, possibly with the Vice President taking the President’s place.

I pointed out to Mr. Churchill that it was extremely dangerous to have such a meeting unless it would have positive results. An illusion of success would be bad, and also an obvious failure would be bad and might create the impression that the only alternative was war.

I asked Churchill what concrete accomplishment would be possible and he said an Austrian treaty. I said I thought we had gone very far with Molotov in trying to get an Austrian treaty and I was skeptical about the possibility of getting it by his method.

I pointed out that if Mr. Churchill should make an exploratory mission alone, it would not be looked upon well in this country, and also we might have to make it clear that Mr. Churchill was in no sense speaking or acting for the United States. Sir Winston said he fully understood this. On the other hand, he would be going not in any sense as an intermediary between the United States and the Soviet Union, but representing the spirit and purpose of “our side”. I urged that the matter be very carefully weighed before any positive decision was made.

(Subsequently at my house on Sunday afternoon, I reported the foregoing to Mr. Eden.)

1. The conversation between Dulles and Churchill took place at the White House from 12: 30 to 1: 30 p.m. on June 27. The source text was attached to a memorandum of transmittal from Dulles to President Eisenhower, dated June 28. According to Hagerty’s diary, Dulles later told him that the conversation went as follows:

   “The Prime Minister was still obsessed with the idea of going to Moscow for a meeting and had tried to get Dulles to urge the President to do likewise. Of course, we are unalterably opposed to such a trip but it may be if we do not go, Churchill will go anyway. Churchill also had a talk with Dulles on what the Prime Minister declared was the difference between British and French Colonialism and wanted to make sure that we would support the British viewpoint on this matter.” (Eisenhower Library, James C. Hagerty papers)