FOREIGN RELATIONS: The President and the General

At exactly 4 p.m. the big brown C-54 touched the ground of the Washington airport. The door swung open; out stepped Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle.

The General looked down on a platoon of French air cadets and three squadrons of U.S. airmen, rigid at attention while the 94° heat wilted their khaki and soaked their hats. He stood there for a long moment, looking about him, blinking under the sun of a land he had never seen before. Then slowly Charles de Gaulle moved down the ramp, looking even taller than...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!