FOREIGN RELATIONS, 19 5 0, VOLUME I


pressure came principally from Communists. By time Secretary
Marshall's reply   (Deptel 348, March 9)5 was handed to Spaak
Soviet policy had so discredited Communists in Belgium and his
position had become sufficiently strong that he seemed satisfied. He
remarked internal political aspects of situation were calmer land he was
no longer so badgered on question. Though Communist press con-
tinued its monotonous attacks other parties did not seem unduly
concerned doubtless encouraged by formation of Brussels Pact lead-
ing to Atlantic Pact and therefore appreciating that-strategic uses for
uranium were paramount. After prolonged crisis last summer, new
government was formed made up with exception of Prime Minister
Eyskens6 and Minister Labor B6hogne,7 of right wing PSC         and
Liberals with Van Zeeland 8 as dominant member of government. Van
Zeeland having been out of office twelve years was anxious restore
political prestige and was, therefore, more vulnerable than Spaak, and
though having wide appreciation and grasp of world affairs, he has
perhaps a slightly different point of view than Spaak on subject of
uranium as affecting internal political position. As indicated during
his visit to Washington 9 and as subsequently reported, he wishes to
get more for Belgium out of 1944 agreement for his own internal
political prestige. On August 18, for first time in Embassy knowledge,
a PSC senator joined Communist in sharply questioning government
on uranium (Embtel1145, August 19).10
  3. Concurrently wide publicity given Blair House talks 1 augmented
by apparent attempt keep them secret from world caused considerable
worsening of this situation and it may be that statement by Eyskens
in Senate last summer that "no secret treaty" on uranium existed
may
also have adverse influence on position of present government on the
subject of uranium (as Embassy pointed out it believes Eyskens would
have been well-advised to have merely referred to Spaak's above-
mentioned statement of July 3,1947).

  'For text of -elegram 348 to Brussels, March 9, 1948, see Foreign Relation,
1948, vol. i, Part 2, p. 693.
  *Dr. Gaston F. Eyskens.
  Oscar B hogne.
  8Paul Van Zeeland, Belgian Foreign Minister.
  9 1n a conversation with the Secretary of State in Washington on September
16,
1949, Van Zeeland indicated that while he did not wish to take up the question
of
uranium at that time, he reserved the right to do so .at some later date
(memo-
randum of conversation, not printed, by Douglas MacArthur, 2nd, Chief of
the
Division of Western European Affairs; Department of State Atomic Energy
Files).
  ot printed.
  "On the evening of July 14, 1949, President Truman met with the Secretaries
of State and Defense, the Chairman of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission,
other
officials in the Executive Branch, and a Congressional delegation at Blair
House
to discuss cooperation with the United Kingdom and Canada in the field of
atomic
energy. For the record of that meeting, see Foreign Relations, 1949, vol.
i, p. 476.


494