Office of the Historian

19. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Syria1

Washington, March 5, 1955—4:01 p.m.

460. Re Egyptian-sponsored defense pact precluding members from concluding alliances with non-Arab powers (Damascus Tels 4512 [Page 28] and 452 to Department3) you may in your discretion make clear to Government authorities and others as appropriate our attitude toward such a pact as stated Paras 3 and 4 Deptel 1072 to Beirut.4 In your discretion you may stress particularly that we could not in foreseeable future extend grant military aid to such a pact or to any member for purpose of strengthening it.

Hoover
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 780.5/3–555. Confidential. Drafted by Francis O. Allen on March 4, approved by George Allen, and signed for Hoover by, Jernegan. Also sent to Beirut and Amman and repeated to Baghdad, Cairo, Jidda, London, Ankara, Karachi, and Paris.↩
  2. See footnote 7, Document 17.↩
  3. In telegram 452, March 2, Moose conveyed to the Department of State a report from British Ambassador Gardener concerning the Egyptian proposals for a new Arab pact. In addition to the contents of the proposals described in telegram 451, Gardener noted that Egypt was offering unconditional and unlimited military and economic assistance to Arab States joining the proposed arrangement, and that the Syrian Government’s attitude toward the proposal was still uncertain. (Department of State, Central Files, 682.87/3–255)↩
  4. Document 10.↩