Memorandum of Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson and Francis Biddle

159 100 CON: TECNTIAL 159 May 3, 1949. t MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION ARCHIVES "NATIONAL SERVICE" RECORDA AMD CONT ITH MR. FRANCI S BIDDLE Mr. Biddle called at his request. He said that he had seen the President and asked the President to send his name again to the Senate for the Economic and Social Council. Mr. Biddle said that he had asked this partly because he had been rejected before and did not vant the matter to rest there and partly because the work seened to him nost interesting and he thought that he could make a contribution. The President asked him to talk with me, which Mr. Biddle apologized for not having done this sooner. A short time ago Mr. Biddle again Baw the President, who told him that my reaction had been most friendly toward Mr. Biddle, but that there vere certain problems which I should diseuss with Mr. Biddle. I told Mr. Biddle, first, that at the present time Assistant Secretary Thorp was our representative on the Economic and Social Council and was conducting this work in a most satisfactory way. There was a. question whether it was an effective use of personnel to have Mr. Thorp doing this work as well as his de- partmental vork, but that that question had not been resolved. Second. I told him that there were serious ques- tions regarding his nomination for this particular post. I reminded him that on the last occasion the Committee had not reported out the nomination and that this did not come from any personal dislike of Mr. Biddle or doubt as to his ability or character. It came from the fact that the Committee was strongly of the opinion thet the Economic and Social Council might turn into a do-good and spending organization and that they felt that Mr. Biddle was too sympathetic with what they re- garded as New Deal ideas along these lines. I thought this raised serious questions as to his usefulness in this post nd in any event would lead me to advise the President not to nominate him for this post during the present session of Congress. DECLASSIFIED E. O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and S(D) or (E) Dept. of State letter, lug.9.1973 7-15-2023 Ba NLT- He NARS Date4-22-76 CONFIDENTIAL