Notes of Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson and Secretary of the Army Frank Pace

1071-a 12/13 /55 Brief Notes on Pace-Acheson conversation Saturday. 1. Eisenhower willing to have the operation of naming him 'upreme Commander on the basis of naming him specifically. 2. Read letter drafted by Collins for President to send to Fisenhower. 3. The letter would be "announced" the next day after original announcement of appointment 4. Secretary said he did not think letter as drafted designated Eisenhower by Presi- - dent. Peldins replied that he thought they agreed that President would send Secretary a message designating General Eisenhower as being a vailable and that the Council would make the announcement of the actual appointment. Secretary said the idea was that the President would send him (the Sec.) a message saying that, in accordance with the request of the Council, he had designated Eisenhower. Collins agreed that this would entail chanting first sentence, which he agreed to do. 4. Collins said one point which worried Loyett was that no where in the letter did it) say that armed forces in Europe are cutegorically hereby placed under Eisenhower as Supreme Commander. But Lovett thought phrase "hereby assigned operation command etc." did it. Sec. agreed. of s ARCHIVES AND MATIONAL with RECORDS SERVICE" is