Memorandum of Telephone Conversations with Secretary of State Dean Acheson, Ambassador of Canada Hume Wrong, and Ambassador of Great Britain Sir Oliver Franks

no GSIFIED Ö. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and 5(D) or D.p.c. of State letter, 5-12-26 s DEPARTMENT OF STATE 920 He , MARS Date 2-12-76 AND OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY is GONFIDENTIAL 59 February 27, 1952 MEMORANDUM OF TELEPHONE CONVERSATIONS WITH AMBASSADOR WRONG AND AMBASSADOR FRANKS Subject: Selection of Secretary General for NATO Ambassador Wrong telephoned about one o'clock today to say that he had a message from Mr. Pearson who had heard from Mr. Eden that Sir Oliver Franks would not accept the assignment as Secretary General. Mr. Wrong said that Mr. Pearson wanted to know whether Mr. Acheson thought that Mr. Pearson, as Chairman of NATO, should put out an official statement that Sir Oliver would not accept the assignment. Mr. Acheson said he had been considering calling Sir Oliver to talk with him and see whether this was his last word. He hesitated to do so because if Sir Oliver's mind was completely made up, he would not want to embarrass him in any way. Mr. Wrong said that he had talked with Sir Oliver and knew that he had wrestled with the matter and was quite sure that Sir Oliver would not accept but thought that Mr. Acheson could very well call him and talk with him about it. Mr. Acheson said that he would do this before giving an auswer as to Mr. Pearson's question and would call Mr. Wrong back. Mr. Acheson called Sir Oliver, said that he was calling timidly to find out whether an old and tried friendship had withstood the test of the last two or three days. He said that he thought it might make Sir Oliver Lomewhat happier to know that at the meeting in which the question of Secretary General was discussed, Sir Oliver was the only man considered and he had everyone's enthusiastic concurrence. Mr. Acheson told him the message he had from Mr. Pearson about putting out a statement and Mr. Acheson was calling to find out if this was his final judgment or if there were anything that Mr. Acheson could tell him about the general background in case there was any chance he might reconsider. But he did not want to press him to do so. CONFIDENTIAL