Memorandum of Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson and Foreign Minister of Ireland Sean McBride

212 DEPARTMENT OF STATE SECTICT 118 Memorandum of Conversation DATE: April 11,1049 SUBJECT: Eurogean altuation; Partitionand Trish Adherence to NAP ARCHIVES MATIONAL RECORDS AND SERVICET Palient PARTICIPANTS: Irish Foreiga Minister, Bean McBride, Secretary Acheson COPIES TO: apo --1493 Mr. Meliride at ats requeat Gaw me alone, Ele said that he had two mat- tera which he wished to discuss - the first was the present state of Europe, the second the question of partition in Treland and Irish adherence to the Adantie ract. Cn the first question, Mr. MeBride felt that 80 far our efforts la Europe might be described as propping up a wall which was leaning. This was neceasary and had been auccessful. He felt It was not of enduring success unlesa we reballt the wall and gave lasting vitality and strength to Buropean life. He felt that military alliances whlle of great importance and wholly right in the present case would not furnish alone what was seeded. In fact, to come extent they had the appoalte effect by frightening the people in such countries as Austria and where there was the balief that If war came whatever the result they would be destroyed. The Marahali Plan, he felt, was a most conatructive stey, but he fell that the hope that this was going to result in a real economie and political integration in Barope was not being fuifilied. Specifically, be and that walle progresa along these lines had been made by of the leaders of Europe, the Idea had not permeated to the people. There was too mach of a feeling ameag the people in Europe that the CEEC, the Council for Europe, and almilar orginisations were zerely methoda by which American dollara became available and were not DECLASSIFIED E. O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and 5(D) or (1) Dept. of State letter, 7-33-95 Aug 2,1973 SECHE By NLT- HC : NARS Date4.71.76