David Bruce was recalled from Paris from his position as Ambassador by President Truman and his Secretary of State, Dean Acheson, despite his opposition, to the post of Under Secretary of State, commencing April 1952. Bruce had reservations about the post because he felt because of his knowledge on the French situation and the contacts he had built up, he felt he would be of greater benefit in France. However, Acheson believed that such diplomacy was needed in the State Department. During his time as Under-Secretary he refers in his diary to Europe with reference to efforts in Europe to push the signing of the EDC and the Contractual Agreements with Germany, the newly inaugurated High Authority of the ECSC. He also mentions general issues concerning American foreign policy concerns such as North Africa, NATO, Latin America, the oil dispute in Iran, the Korean Armistice, the Trieste dispute, Eisenhower's Presidential election campaign, the Rosenberg atom espionage case, foreign aid legislation and George Kennan's, US Ambassador to Soviet Union, problems in that country. The material is taken from volumes 13-16 of the diary.

The originals are held in various Archives and Presidential Libraries in the USA