790.5/5–2354: Telegram
The Under Secretary of State (Smith) to the Department of State
Dulte 100. Eyes only Secretary. Your Tedul 107.1 I will advise Eden in accordance with your instructions and provide him with a confirming memorandum.2 Will omit paragraph four, since Australia and New Zealand have been informed and are participating and our relationship to ANZUS is well understood.
With regard to final paragraph of Tedul 107, it is completely impossible for me to understand the reasoning which prompts the decision by our Joint Chiefs of Staff that they should downgrade the rank of our representation on these five power staff conferences.3 Regardless of the actual outcome, the simple fact that very senior military officers of the five powers were meeting in Washington would convince the Russians and Chinese, who inevitably would know about it, that, regardless of protestations or statements to the contrary, we really intended serious business. I really regret this decision more than I can say.4
- Supra.↩
- Not found in Department of State files.↩
- Telegram Tedul 112 to Geneva, May 24, drafted by Dulles personally, reads as follows: “Have discussed final paragraph [of Tedul 107] with Radford and Chiefs will reconsider. Their motivation has been primarily political, feeling that British wanted high ranking to obviate carrying on broader political talks.” (790.5/5–2354)↩
- A section of telegram Tedul 126 to Geneva, May 26, drafted and approved for transmission by MacArthur, reads: “UK military have informed our JCS of receipt of message from Eden yesterday indicating he had accepted interpretations set forth in your memo; that USDel Geneva had been informed; and that it was now agreed talks could proceed as soon as possible.” (790.5/5–2654) The five-power talks began in Washington on June 3.↩