Memorandum of Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson, Lieutenant General Alfred Greunther, Thomas D. Cabot, and Philip Jessup

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NLT828656 435 zor DEPARTMENT OF STATE 22r OOPY No. 4 Memorandum of Conversation OF 10 COPIES DATE: August 2, 1951 S/S SUBJECT: Secretary's Conversation with General Gruenther mr PARTICIPANTS: Lt. General Alfred M. Gruenther conf The Secretary Mr. Cabot Mr. Jessup COPIES TO: AND Ess. GOVER 1-1493 General Gruenther came to see the Secretary at 5:15 and the conversation continued for an hour and a quarter. The Secretary regretted that General Gruenther had had to come back to appear before the Committees but expressed his appr eciation for the extremely useful contribution which the General had made. The Secretary then referred to the analysis of the problem of German contributions to the NATO defense effort as stated in his private nemorandum. He told General Gruenther that he wanted to find out whether in the General's view there were any ways in which the Depart- ment could be more useful in backing up SACEUR and contributing to the early solution of the problem of the German contribution. He pointed out that Congress could hardly be expected to pass an additional mutual aid bill next year if there were no German con- tribution. General Gruenther said that he would not in fact recommend that Congress do so, and the Secretary said he felt the same way. The Secretary said that he did not wish to bother the General with the complicated problem of the current discussions in Washington concerning the organization of the administration of foreign aid but wanted to concentrate on the European scene, the U.S. team over there, NATO and the ways in which proper backstopping could be supplied. DECLASSIFIED General Gruenther STATE DEPT. Merio p-1-ty Project NLT 82-4 By NLT- WC NARS, Date 9-5-44 TOP SECRET