Memorandum of Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson, Foreign Minister of Luxembourg Joseph Bech, and Homer Byington

cork 05 UNITED STATES DELEGATION TO SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY 523 state prit HY Date: ocks MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION 15th? 247 October #4, 1952 317 (Typed November 4, 1952) SUBJECT? Ratification of the EDC PARTICIPANTS: M. Bech. Foreign Minister, Luxembourg The Secretary Homer M. Byington. Jr. COPIES TO: U.S. Delegation, 7th GA Department of State Mr. Rogs Distribution to be Mr. Popper determined by s/s. Mr. Taylor Secretary General Mr. Byington Reference During the course of a general preliminary conversation, M. Bech took occasion to temark on the reaction in Western Europe to the recent speech of Stalin and what appeared to be indications of a slightly less hostile attitude on the part of the Russians. Be said that not only the people of Western Europe had a tendency to leap to conclusions over such developments but that even experienced politiciens also were inclined to believe that the Russians were ready to undertake a rapprochement with the West. He said that he, himself, is not taken in by these developments but he feared a let-down in the Western European effort to achieve collective security. M. Bech also mentioned his concern that the Russians might request the establishment of a legation in Luxembourg, particularly since the Luxembourg Minister was resident in Moscow and the Russian representation in Belgium was merely accredited to Luxembourg. He said that at the time when Western nations took measures to restrict the movement of Soviet diplomats he had pointed out to the Belgian Government the necessity of allowing the existence of a corridor for the Soviet diplomats to travel between Brussels and Luxem bourg in order to avoid a Russian request for representation in Luxembourg itself. Of course, the problem of travel within Luxembourg did not exist because of the small size of his country. Now with the Russian interest in the Schuman Plan the Soviets might request establishment of a legation in Luzembourg. His remarks did not infer in any way displeasure that the Schuman Plan authority was in his country. Following our preliminary conversation, I told M. Bech that I particularly wanted CHORET SECURITY INFORMAITION