Memorandum of Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson, H. Freeman Matthews, Charles Bohlen, and Lucius Battle

465 SERVICE'E AND RECORDS ed E 9 TOP SECRET SECURITY January 9, 1952 of ARCHIVES AND MEMORANDUM FOR s/s 'NATIONAL RECORDS SERVICE^ Following the meeting at the White House yesterday with Mr. Churchill and Mr. Eden, the Secretary spoke briefly to Mr. Matthews and Mr. Bohlen and me about a rather brief restricted meeting which took place at the White House either before or after the larger meeting. The President apparently designated those who were to attend this restricted session. He had had discussions with Mr. Acheson and Mr. Lovett prior to doing this but the implication to the British was that the entire session was at the President's initiative. The Secretary made the following comments about what had taken place in that session. This is not a complete record but may be the best that we will have on this session unless someone else from the Department attended (which I do not believe to be so). The President opened the session by making remarks as to the need for SACLANT. He said that this Command arrangement had been agreed to and he wanted Mr. Churchill to hear the reasons for it. The reasons for the Command were then developed. Mr. Churchill then said that the United Kingdom had lost much of its former power. He said that the United States had atomic power, productive power, et cetera. He said that British life depended on the sea. He said that the British had earned equality with British blood. He said that was all the British wanted--equality, not primacy. General Bradley then said that what the Prime Minister wanted was exactly what they were getting under the SACLANT arrangement. Admiral Fechteler then said that the Prime Minister did not understand the origin of the problem. He pointed out that 12 nations, including the United Kingdom, had agreed to the Command arrangement. DECLASSIFIED E. O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and S(D) or (T) 5-12-76 Dept. of State letter, By NLT- HC. NARS Date 2676 TOP SECRET ECCURITY