Letter from Joseph E. Johnson to Dean Acheson

CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INERNATIONAL PEACE UNITED NATIONS PLAZA AT 46TH STREET NEW YORK 17, NEW YORK CABLE ADDRESS INTERPAX OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT S. TRUMAN (NATIONAL 26 February 1954 AND ACCORDS SERVICE", Dear Dean: GOVERHAR I have read with interest your memorandum of 17 February regarding the future work of the seminar and have the following comments to make for what they are worth. In general, it seems to me that all the areas of discussion which you enumerate ought to be considered, although I recognize that this is a fairly large order for only three more meetings. I do feel that what may be called the narrative should be finished at the March meeting as you suggest (and regret most keenly that I shall not be able to be there) . I should think a couple of hours devoted to the problems which France poses would be an absolutely invaluable part of the record, as would an under- standing of your approach to the problems of the "uncommitted" areas. After reading your suggestions for the May meeting, I am not nearly so doubtful as you. Because much of our national attitude toward Latin America, which has such a profound influence on policy, is the result of a myth (I use the word in the anthropological sense), a record of the way which the United States approached the problem during your regime as Secretary could be very important for the future. You know that I have very much wanted to have part of the discussion centered on the United Nations. I feel even more strongly about this than I did earlier because, after our consideration of multilateral diplomacy as a collateral element in various problems, it is clear to me that a discussion centering on the United Nations which would bring out very concisely the rationale of your attitude toward it would be extremely illuminating. I certainly agree that it would be most important to have both Dean Rusk and Phil Jessup present for such a discussion. I certainly should want to be there myself. One of the issues with which the United Nations has endeavored to deal and with which you have been intimately associated since 1946 is that of the regulation of armaments. I am not at all clear that security restrictions would