Under the Umbrella

The rules of protocol being what they are, it is rare indeed for a traveler who is not a chief of government to be escorted to an airport by a President--and then find a chancellor waiting for him at the airport when he arrives at his destination. This unique experience fell to Secretary of State John Foster Dulles at week's end, on an expedition to Bonn and London to discuss the Middle East with 1) West Germany's Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, 2) Britain's Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, and 3) Baghdad Pact prime ministers.

In a gesture of appreciation for a hard week's work, Dwight Eisenhower invited Dulles to ride with him to Washington's Military Air Transport Service terminal in a White House limousine. After farewells, Ike boarded a Marine Corps helicopter for a weekend trip to his Gettysburg farm, and Dulles boarded the silvery presidential plane Columbine III.

Waiting for Dulles when Columbine III set down at the rain-spattered Wahn airport near Bonn was stern-faced Chancellor Adenauer. Though miffed at the U.S. for thrusting into the Middle East without letting him know in advance, Adenauer was breaching protocol to show his solidarity with the U.S. in the Middle East crisis. Extending his big umbrella over Dulles, Adenauer broke into one of his rare, wintry, smiles. "I hereby take the U.S. under my protection," he cracked. Replied Dulles: "It is good for all of us to stand together when it rains." Apparently the mood of solidarity continued: after a 2 1/2-hour conference, a joint communique announced "complete clarification."

With that, Dulles was off to London to see what could be done about strengthening the Baghdad Pact, weakened by the coup in Iraq.

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