John Foster Dulles Warns Attorney General Herbert Brownell About European Concerns Over the Rosenberg Case (1953)

Date: June 12, 1953

Original or Replica: Original

Era: The Presidency, The Rosenberg Case

Collection: Eisenhower Presidential Library

Citations: John Foster Dulles Papers, Telephone Conversation Series, Box 1, Telephone Memo May-June 1953 (2); NAID #12608519

This June 12, 1953 memorandum records a telephone conversation between Secretary of State John Foster Dulles and Attorney General Herbert Brownell Jr. regarding the approaching executions of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. Dulles contacted Brownell to add information to an earlier discussion about the case, specifically emphasizing concerns about its effect on relations between the United States and Europe. Dulles reported that French statesman Jean Monnet had relayed the views of Belgian political leader Paul-Henri Spaak, who considered the Rosenberg case the most troublesome issue affecting U.S.-European relations.

Dulles emphasized that Spaak was a Socialist but also a highly capable and influential European leader, suggesting that his concerns deserved serious consideration. Nevertheless, Dulles stated that this information should not necessarily change the administration’s position on the Rosenbergs. Instead, he wanted Brownell to be aware of the international reaction surrounding the case. Written only one week before Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed, the memorandum demonstrates that the Eisenhower administration recognized the case as more than a domestic legal controversy. Senior officials were also considering how the executions might affect American diplomacy, relations with European allies, and the United States’ international reputation during the Cold War.