Presidential Papers, Doc#878 Top secret To Winston Spencer Churchill, 14 May 1954. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower
<--PREV
Doc #877		  |  Memorial Commission
Home Page		  |  First Term
Table of Contents		  |  Presidential Papers
Home Page 		 | 
Doc#
 |  NEXT-->
Doc #879

Document #878; May 14, 1954
To Winston Spencer Churchill
Series: EM, AWF, International Series: Churchill ; Category: Top secret
The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, Volume XV - The Presidency: The Middle Way
Part V: Maintaining "a united defense"; April 1954 to August 1954
Chapter 10: Losing the war "they could not win"

 

Dear Winston: Friday, June 18th, suits me very well.1 It will give us a good weekend for talks. I hope very much you are counting on bringing Anthony with you so that he may talk with Foster.2 The two of them could help us keep our talks related to the many delicate aspects of the world situation. Moreover their presence should be helpful to them in implementing any ideas we might agree upon.

My thought is that we should see that social affairs are kept at a minimum or totally eliminated, so that we could have the maximum time for leisurely discussions. Do you agree with this or would you like to make some different suggestion?3

The matter of announcements, so far as I am concerned, can be determined by Foster and Anthony, but if you have any particular thought on this point, I will be glad to have it.4

With warm regard, As ever

1 For background on Churchill's planned visit to Washington see nos. 844 and 873. The Prime Minister had suggested the June 18 date, saying that he could stay "four or five days at your convenience at the Embassy" (Churchill to Eisenhower, May 13, 1954, AWF/I: Churchill). Earlier this same day Eisenhower had discussed the visit with Secretary Dulles, who believed that Churchill's voluntary suggestion of the embassy was a "hint" for a White House invitation. They considered the precedent such an invitation would set (Telephone conversation, AWF/D).

2 Foreign Minister Eden would accompany Churchill to Washington (Churchill to Eisenhower, May 16, 1954, AWF/I: Churchill).

3 The Prime Minister would agree that social affairs should be eliminated, "though probably I should be urged as on all previous occasions to lunch with the Washington Press Club where the proceedings have always been confidential." In the transmission of this message, Ambassador Makins had written, "I assume that the reference to the confidential nature of the proceedings of the Washington Press Club is a joke!" (Makins to Eisenhower, May 18, 1954, ibid.).

4 "I did not think any announcement was urgent," Churchill would reply. "We might discuss this at the end of May when perhaps Geneva will be over." Churchill would write again on the twenty-fourth: "The main and obvious topic is interchange of information about atomics, etc., and the progress of your great design to develop its harmless side. Apart from that, we will talk over anything that crops up" (ibid.). Again Eisenhower and Dulles discussed the visit (May 24, 1954, Dulles Papers, Telephone Conversations). The President said he wanted Churchill to spend the weekend at the White House, and then "mentioned getting some bachelors together and going to the camp [Camp David] as a possibility, as it would give the atmosphere in the public mind of talking things over." Eisenhower would invite Churchill to stay at the White House and would ask the Prime Minister to "suggest announcement and timing as soon as convenient. I believe it should not name any topics," he wrote (May 24, ibid.). For developments see no. 899.

Bibliographic reference to this document:
Eisenhower, Dwight D. Top secret To Winston Spencer Churchill, 14 May 1954. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, ed. L. Galambos and D. van Ee, doc. 878. World Wide Web facsimile by The Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission of the print edition; Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996, http://www.eisenhowermemorial.org/presidential-papers/first-term/documents/878.cfm

<--PREV
Doc #877		  |  Memorial Commission
Home Page		  |  First Term
Table of Contents		  |  Presidential Papers
Home Page 		 | 
Doc#
 |  NEXT-->
Doc #879
 


Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission
1629 K Street, NW Suite 801
Washington DC 20006
Phone: 202.296.0004    Fax: 202.296.6464