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

033.5111/9–1653

No. 614
Memorandum Prepared for the Under Secretary of State (Smith)¹

secret

Washington, September 16, 1953.

The whole question of the Laniel visit has become extremely complicated during the course of yesterday and today.² We spent a long time yesterday and again this morning having a telecon with Dillon in Paris. I would summarize the situation as follows:

Bidault who has not been well, returned to Paris last Monday. He apparently does not wish to accompany Laniel to the United States if he has to play second fiddle. At the same time, he apparently does not believe it wise for Laniel to visit the United States (possibly because he does not wish the latter to have a lot of publicity, etc.). In any event, Bidault has been working on Laniel and the latter is not certain whether or not he should come to the United States. A further complication is the fact that we have not as yet been able to reach full agreement with the French on exchange of notes, and until solid agreement is reached both we and Laniel believe it would be an error to make the trip to Washington. With respect to Laniel’s trip, there are the following possibilities:

(1) That the visit may still occur as tentatively planned during the period September 19–22. The White House and the Secretary are willing to hold this possibility open until about noon tomorrow Washington time, by which time we will know one way or the other.

(2) That the visit might be postponed to September 21–23. Both the White House and the Secretary’s office are agreeable to this two-day postponement if Laniel really wants to come and believes the trip will be helpful. We have told Paris we could hold this possibility open until about Friday noon if this would be helpful to Laniel.

(3) That the visit will not occur this month and will be postponed until some mutually agreed date some time later this year. I would think in view of Bidault’s maneuvers and the evolution of the situation in Paris in the past twenty-four hours that this would be the most probable outcome.

Denver and Paris made a simultaneous release today at 1:00 p.m. Washington time, saying in effect that the President had invited Laniel and Bidault; that they had accepted; and that a mutually agreed date had been worked out. This release was at the French request to take the heat off Laniel after the leak concerning his visit broke in Paris yesterday.³

I plan to brief you immediately following returns on the foregoing developments, but am obligated to meet with the PSB Working Group at 2:00. I will, of course, check in with your office immediately upon my return from the PSB in the event you want to have further particulars from me.⁴

1. This memorandum was presumably drafted by MacArthur.
2. According to telegram 1062 from Paris, Sept. 15, urgent contacts had been made between Ambassador Dillon and French officials during the morning of Sept. 15 concerning a draft press release announcing a possible visit to Washington by President Laniel. (033.5111/9–1553) The following morning Dillon met with Bidault to make arrangements for the simultaneous release of the press announcement after approval by a telephone conversation with MacArthur, as outlined in telegram 1085 from Paris, Sept. 16. (033.5111/9–1653)
3. For the text of this White House press release, see Department of State Bulletin, Oct. 5, 1953, p. 460.
4. A note by Walter K. Scott, dated Sept. 16 at 2:45 p.m., informed Under Secretary Smith that MacArthur had just been told by Dillon that Laniel could not visit the United States until later in the year. (033.5111/9–1653)