862.6362/7–447: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom
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2920. For the Ambassador. While we attach the highest importance to the proposed coal talks in Washington we very much fear that should Bevin decide to come himself (urtel 3667, July 446) his presence here would cause considerable confusion in the public mind both here and abroad. With public interest throughout the world so vitally concentrated on the impending Paris discussions all efforts to explain that Bevin’s presence here would not conflict with or cut across the Paris talks47 would we fear be of no avail. Furthermore, the Soviet propaganda machine would have a field day. We hope that you can tactfully point out these considerations to Bevin should he be seriously considering participation in the Washington coal talks.
- Not printed; it reported Bevin’s acceptance of the proposal for a coal conference in Washington and also Bevin’s statement that he himself might attend the projected conference because of the extreme importance of German coal production (862.6362/7–447).↩
- The reference here is to the Conference of European Economic Cooperation, held in Paris, July 12–September 22, 1947; for documentation on the Conference, see volume iii .↩