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Memorandum of Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson, President Harry S. Truman, and Prime Minister of Canada Mr. Louis St. Laurent
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- Part of Dean Acheson Papers, Secretary of State Files
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
ULUILI
Memorandum of Conversation
DATE: February 13, 1949
and
SUBJECT:
RECORDS
SERVICE'"
DECLASSIFIED
E O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and S(D) or (E)
PARTICIPANTS:
Dept. of State letter, 133375
The President
Bx N.T. He : NARS Date 4.20.26
Prime Minister of Canada, Mr. Louis St. Laurent
Secretary Acheson
COPIES TO:
SPA 1- -1493
After luncheon at the Blair House on Saturday, February 12, the
President and the Prime Minister retired for a general discussion.
Secretary Acheson was present.
The Prime Minister reviewed briefiy the situation confronting his
Administration. He said that in the economic field Canada's former
position, of selling largely in Europe and buying largely in the United
States, probably could not be recovered.
The Prime Minister said Canada must hope to balarice its payments
with the United States by producing more of the goods which It could sell
to us. If Canada would, as seemed hopeful, develop petroleum resources
and its own coal supplies, he thsught it would relieve a burden on U.S.
resources and free dollars for other purchases. He said Canada hoped
for closer trade relations with the United States.
Cn the political side, the Prime Minister stated that his Adminis-
tration faced a general election within eighteen months and he expected
that the election would not be postponed to the end of this Parliament's
life.
The Prime Minister made specific suggestions on U.S. orders for
some military items in Canada. He stressed the importance of furthering
SECRET
SECURIT
Relations
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