Memorandum of Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson, Jacob Blaustein, Adolph Held, Nahum Goldman, Frank Goldman, Israel Goldstein, Moses A. Leavitt, Seymour J. Rubin, and Geoffrey W. Lewis

RESTRICTED s/s 5268 DEPARTMENT OF STATE 961 Memorandum of Conversation May22 DATE: May 5, 1952 - 154 SUBJECT: German-Israeli Negotiations at The Hague PARTICIPANTS: The Secretary (Mr. Frank Goldman GER - Mr. Lewis (Dr. Israel Goldstein CHARGE (Mr. Jacob Blaustein (Mr. Moses A. Leavitt (Mr. Adolph Held (Mr. Seymour J. Rubin AND RECORDA (Mr. Nahum Goldman COPIES TO: s/s - (2) GEA - Mr. Baker NEA - Mr. Waller GAI - Mr. Kellermann GER - Mr. Reinstein HICOG GEA - Mr. Margolies 1-1493 The gentlemen listed above, all members of prominent American-Jewish organizations, came in to see the Secretary at 3:30 this afternoon at their re- (maya) quest to discuss the situation with respect to the Jewish-Israeli negotiations at The Hague concerning the Israeli and Jewish claims for reparations from Germany. Dr. Goldman as spokesman explained that the group had come in primarily to discuss the Israeli claim of 1,000,000,000. He noted that the Jewish organiza- tions had a separate claim for $500,000,000 but that they did not wish to go for- ward with negotiations on their claim if those between Israel and Germany broke down. Dr. Goldman said that the Jewish organizations were very nuch concerned that the German statement that they could not reconvene The Hague negotiations until a month after the London Debt Conference had again resumed. its sessions. He dwelt upon political difficulties which would ensue in Israel if the discus- sions were postponed and if they seemed to have been relegated by the Germans to a position secondary to the London discussions. He realized that the Secretary desired, as did the Jewish organizations and Israel, to see the Hague negotiations come to a satisfactory and prompt conclusion. He thanked the Secretary most sincerely for asking Mr. McCloy to impress upon Chancellor Adenauer the necessity of reconvening The Hague talks at least as soon as those in London and of avoiding giving any impressi on that the London Conference held any preference over that in The Hague. Dr. Goldman DECLASSIFTED E0 10501 RESTRICTED