Memorandum of Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson, Ambassador of Great Britain Sir Oliver Franks, Anthony Eden, Sir Roger Makins, George Perkins, and Henry Byroade

5153249 DEPARTMENT OF STATE 464 Memorandum of Conversation coal DATE: January 7, 1952 8 SUBJECT: Meeting in Secretary's office, 4:00 p.m. January 7, 1952 on European Defense Force. PARTICIPANTS: Secretary Acheson Mr. Anthony Eden ARCHIVES SERVICE" REODROS NATIONAL AND UNIVER Mr. George Perkins - EUR Sir Oliver Frenks E Mr. Henry A. Byroade - GER Sir Roger Makins DECLASSIFIED COPIES TO: s/s STATE DEXT. LEITAT 5.5.33 EUR - Perkins s/a - Knight Project NLT 82.4 s/p RA - Martin By NLT- HC NARS, Date 6-1-83 u. s. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 16-61120-1 Eden opened the meeting by stating that he believed the recent visit of the Prime Minister and hinself to Paris had been useful. He stated that he believed they vere eble to give Schuman all the reassurances he wanted and that Eisenhower had appeared satisfied vith the meeting there, Eden stated that he believed the climate had been improved by their gesture of going to France before coming to the United States. He stated that he was going to endeavor to make a trip to France soon after their return from the United States for the same reason, Mr. Acheson indicated that he would give Eden an oral summary of our understanding of developments in the recent meeting of the six Foreign Ministers on the EDC in Paris. For this purpose he sumerized for Eden most of the substance of Bruce's summery report and recommendations contained in 3958 from Paris of January 3. He stated that two factors were outstending in his mind from this summary. (1) The extent of French-Germen-Italiax agreement on institutions of a supra-nationel character and on the other hand the close agreement among the Benelux nations in opposing such far reaching solutions, and (2) the fact that ve could now see no ready alternative to the solution of getting Germany into the defense except through agreement by the Europeans themselves on the EDF. He then gave Eden the substance of the Dutch and Belgian positions as reported by Bruce in paragraphs A through F of the above cable, The Secretary indicated his desiro that the British join us in persuading Benelux to go towards the French-Gorman-Itelian position. Ho stated that he thought the United States could give some assurance to them which might be helpful