Conference files, lot 60 D 627, CF 306

Memorandum by the Special Adviser to the United States Delegation (Bonsal) to the Head of the Delegation (Johnson)

Re:

  • Message from Dennis Allen

Dennis Allen telephoned at 10:35 a.m. to say that he had just had a call from la Tournelle who stated that at last night’s Mendes-FranceMolotov [Page 1389] dinner1 it was suggested that a meeting might be held this afternoon between the two Chairmen (Eden and Molotov) and the French to review the documents which have so far been produced and to see where the Conference stands.

Eden has asked Allen to let you know of this suggestion and to find out your views. Eden believes that the meeting in practice might be useful. If the question of U.S. participation in such a meeting is raised, Allen believes that the Russians will probably insist on the presence of the Chinese communists, and we would thus have a five-power gathering.

I told Allen that we would let him have your views as soon as possible.2

  1. See telegram Secto 626, July 16, p. 1394.
  2. Handwritten notations on the source text indicated that Ambassador Johnson had “no objection” to holding the meeting between the two Chairmen and the French and that Johnson agreed with Dennis Allen’s belief that the Russians would probably insist on a Chinese Communist presence which would mean a five-power gathering. An additional handwritten notation indicates that Allen was advised of the Ambassador’s notations.