Memorandum of Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson, Ambassador of Canada Hume Wrong, and Douglas MacArthur II

NLT 810 Tep SPORET 5/5 M.A. DEPARTMENT OF STATE 311 40 Memorandum of Conversation DATE: November 7, 1950 SUBJECT: German Participation in Western European Defense and Korean Situation. PARTICIPANTS: Mr. Hume Wrong, Canadian Ambassador S - The Secretary RA - Mr. Deuglas MacArthur II G - Mr. Matthews EE - Mr. Reinhardt COPIES TO: s/s-R - Mr. Barnes UNA - - Mr. Pericins BNA - Mr. Labouisse FE - Mr. Rusk WE - Mr. Byington GER - Mr. Byroade s/p - Mr. Nitze EUR - Mr. Curming 1-1493_ Anbassador Wrong opened the conversation by saying that he had asked for the appointment with the Secretary several days ago to talk about two questions: 1) German participation in Western European defense, and 2) the Korean situation. He had seen both Assistant Secretary Rusk and lir. Byroade yesterday and he felt that they had brought him pretty well up to date on the US thinking on these two problems; nevertheless, he wanted to go over the ground briefly with the Secretary, particularly since in reporting back to his Government he would like to report the Department's views as coming from the Secretary hinself. With respect to German participation in the defense of Western Europe, the Secretary told Ambassador Wrong that we are giving this problem a very serious thought. The problem as the Secretary saw it was to find out and analyze thoroughly what the really important French considerations were. For example, what the French had in mind when they proposed a European Defense Minister? Was this aimed primarily at European integration or federalization, or was it a means of preventing the establishment of a German Defense Ministry? To what extent was the so-called Pleven Plan based on valid internal political considerations, and to what extent on the personal feelings of Moch? Would a formula which was to a certain extent window-dressing satisfy the French or would they really insist on a formula which included the basic issue raised in the Pleven Plan? The Secretary TRUMAN said that we are trying to analyse all these factors and obtain informa- "NATIONAL tion from Ambassador Bruce so that we would know what line of approach ARCHIVES AND RECORDS would be most fruitful and at the same time most helpful to the French. SERVICE" Ambassador TOP SHORET