Editorial Note

On October 10, Foreign Secretary Eden, who had just returned to office after a seven-month illness, extended invitations to Secretary Dulles and Foreign Minister Bidault to meet in London for talks on European and Far Eastern topics. Following acceptances of the invitations, arrangements were made to hold tripartite and bipartite discussions on October 16–18 and to extend the range of topics to include the Middle East. A copy of Eden’s invitation to Dulles is in the CFM files, lot M 88, box 165, “Tri Mins Mtg London”. For a statement by Secretary Dulles on the objectives of the conference, see Department of State Bulletin, October 26, 1953, pages 546–547.

The first two tripartite sessions were held on October 16. At their morning meeting the Foreign Ministers discussed the reply of the three Western powers to the Soviet note of September 28 and Trieste. At their afternoon meeting they discussed security guarantees for Europe, the Israeli raid on the Jordanian village of Qibya on the night of October 14–15, and the date of the next North Atlantic Council meeting; and considered further the text of their reply to the Soviet note. For a report on their discussion of the security guarantees, see Secto 8 from London, October 16, page 825. For a record of the United States-French bilateral meeting on October 16, see telegram Secto 27, page 826. For documentation on the participation of the United States in NATO, see pages 1 ff.; documentation on the Soviet note and the Western reply of October 18 is presented in volume VII; documentation on the policy of the United States toward the Free Territory of Trieste is presented in volume VIII; documentation on the reaction of the United States to the Israeli raid on Qibya is presented in volume IX.

Following the afternoon session Foreign Secretary Eden gave a dinner for his two colleagues at which Bidault related the latest developments in Indochina. Documentation on Indochina is presented in volume XIII.

On October 17 the three Ministers again met twice. At the morning session they considered once more their reply to the Soviet note, Trieste, and the date of the next North Atlantic Council meeting; and discussed the situation in Korea and Indochina. At their afternoon meeting they discussed the possibility of a four-power conference with the Soviet Union. During the morning Secretary Dulles also met with Foreign Secretary Eden to discuss Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Kuwait, and during the afternoon he conferred with Bidault on Indochina [Page 1710] and the European Defense Community. Documentation on Korea is presented in volume XV; documentation on Iran is in volume X; documentation on Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait is presented in volume IX; for documentation on the attitude of the United States toward the establishment of a European Defense Community, see pages 571 ff.

On October 17 a final tripartite meeting was held at which the Foreign Ministers discussed Trieste, recognition of the People’s Republic of China, and a communiqué on their meetings. Documentation on the policy of the United States with respect to recognition of the People’s Republic of China is presented in volume XIV. For the text of the Foreign Ministers communiqué, see Department of State Bulletin, October 26, 1953, page 546. Further documentation on the meetings, including sets of telegrams to and from Secretary Dulles, background papers prepared in the Department of State on the several topics discussed by the Foreign Ministers, and papers relating to the preparations for the meetings, is in the Conference files, lot 60 D 627, CF 165 and the CFM files, lot M 88, box 165, “Tri Mins Meeting London”, and in volume VII.