70. Memorandum of a Conversation Between the Secretary of State and the Ambassador to Germany (Conant), Department of State, Washington, September 6, 1956, 12:45 p.m.1
We discussed the status of Adenauer and his viewpoint and apparent misunderstanding of many of the present problems. I reported to Ambassador Conant the talks which I had had with Foreign Minister Von Brentano and with Dr. Krone.2 Ambassador Conant said that obviously Adenauer was getting a lot of misinformation and that he, Conant, was quite shocked by Adenauer’s letter to me.
Ambassador Conant then referred to the suggestion that he should go as Ambassador to India and expressed again his regret that he had felt compelled to indicate his unavailability. He said he was [Page 154] planning to get back here for work with foundations, etc., around the first of the year and asked about what would be desired in the timing of his resignation. I said I thought he should follow the usual procedure and put in his resignation after the November election. It would then be acted upon in due course with a view probably to an actual change early in January. Ambassador Conant said that that would fit in very well with his personal plans.
- Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, General Memoranda of Conversation. Secret; Personal and Private. Drafted by Dulles. On August 4, Dulles had telephoned Conant to ask whether he would accept an appointment as Ambassador to India. Conant had been surprised and “his first reaction was strongly negative,” but he said he would consider the matter further and discuss it again when he returned to Washington. (Ibid.)↩
- See Documents 66 and 68.↩