Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Western Europe and Canada, Volume VI, Part 2

Secretary’s Letters, lot 59 D 459, “M”

No. 607
Prime Minister Laniel to President Eisenhower¹

secret

Paris, July 31, 1953.

Mr. President: I have been particularly touched by the message that you had the kindness to send me. No emissary could have been more pleasing than the one you chose.

I have had with Douglas MacArthur II, according to your desire, a very frank and very complete conversation on the principal problems with which my Government is faced and notably on the question of Indochina. I have requested him to give a faithful account;² in turn, I express the wish that the occasion will be furnished me in the near future to meet you again.

Please accept [etc.]

J. Laniel

1. Attached to this letter, along with President Eisenhower’s letter to Laniel of July 28 (Document 605), was a covering memorandum indicating that this exchange of letters was being circulated for information to Merchant, Johnson, Bonsal, and McBride. It was noted on the source text that this was an unofficial translation of Laniel’s letter.
2. An account of this meeting was transmitted to the Department of State in telegram 409 of July 31; for the text of this telegram, see vol. xiii, Part 1, p. 706.