United States Interest in the Question of Military and Economic Assistance to Saudi Arabia; Renewal of United States Tenancy at the Dhahran Airfield; Interest of the United States in Negotiations Between the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia Regarding the Buraimi Oasis Dispute; Visit of King Saud to the United States in February 19571
1. For previous documentation, see Foreign Relations, 1952–1954, vol. ix, Part 2, pp. 2409 ff.
224. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, April 23, 1956
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 711.56386A/4–2356. Confidential. Drafted by Newsom.
225. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Saudi Arabia
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 641.86a/4–2356. Secret; Priority. Drafted by Newsom and approved by Rountree. Repeated niact to London.
226. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in France
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 641.86A/5–256. Secret. Drafted by Newsom and approved by Hoover. Repeated to London and Jidda.
228. Memorandum of a Conversation, Paris, May 4, 1956, Noon
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 780.022/5–1556. Top Secret. Drafted on May 15. No other drafting information is given on the source text. The conversation took place during the NAC Foreign Ministers meeting.
229. Draft of Memorandum From the Ambassador in Saudi Arabia (Wadsworth) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian and African Affairs (Allen)
Source: Department of State, NEA/ARP Files: Lot 69 D 547, DHAHRAN AIRFIELD, Memos—Miscellaneous (Inter–Office, to Sec. etc.). Secret. Drafted by Wadsworth; a notation on the source text indicates that the memorandum was not sent. According to the Record of the President’s Daily Appointments, Wadsworth met with Eisenhower at the White House from 8:37 to 8:55 a.m. on May 9. (Record of the President’s Daily Appointments, 1957, Eisenhower Library)
230. Memorandum From the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs (Rountree) to the Secretary of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 711.56386A/2–856. Secret. Drafted by Newsom.
231. Letter From President Eisenhower to King Saud
Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, International File. Wadsworth delivered the President’s letter to Saud during an audience with the King on May 28. (Telegram 254 from Jidda, June 4; Department of State, Central Files, 711.56386A/ 6–456)
233. Memorandum From the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs (Rountree) to the Secretary of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 786A.11/5–2156. Secret. Drafted by Newsom on May 18.
234. Memorandum From the Special Assistant for Intelligence (Armstrong) to the Deputy Under Secretary of State (Murphy)
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 886A.2553/6–1156. Secret.
235. Letter From Foreign Secretary Lloyd to Secretary of State Dulles
Source: Department of State, Presidential Correspondence: Lot 66 D 204. Top Secret. Makins transmitted the letter to Dulles under cover of a note dated June 28. On June 29 Howe forwarded the message to Allen with instructions that a reply be prepared by the close of business July 5. Howe noted that the reply should be cleared with Armstrong, MacArthur, Murphy, and finally with Hoover. He added that the Department was handling the Lloyd letter on an Eyes Only basis. Copies, Howe continued, had been sent to Dulles, Hoover, and Armstrong, and the message had been shown to Murphy and MacArthur. (Ibid., S/S-NEA Files: Lot 61 D 417)
236. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Egypt
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.86A/6–2356. Secret; Priority. Drafted by Newsom and Geren and approved by Wilkins. Repeated to Jidda and London.
237. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, July 2, 1956
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 711.56386A/7–256. Secret. Drafted by Bennett. Initialed by Murphy.
238. Memorandum From the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Secretary of Defense (Wilson)
Source: National Archives and Records Service, JCS Records, CCS 381 Saudi Arabia (2–7–41) Sec. 11. Top Secret. A copy of the memorandum is in Department of State, Central Files, 711.56386A/7–656.
239. Telegram From the Embassy in Saudi Arabia to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 711.56386A/7–756. Secret; Priority. Repeated to Cairo and London.
240. Letter From Secretary of State Dulles to Foreign Secretary Lloyd
Source: Department of State, S/S-NEA Files: Lot 61 D 417. Top Secret. Drafted by Burdett. On July 11, Burdett delivered the signed original of the Dulles letter and one copy to Ronald Bailey, Counselor of the British Embassy, for transmittal to the Foreign Secretary. (Memorandum of conversation by Burdett, July 11; ibid., Central Files, 786A.00/7–1156) On July 11, the Department transmitted the text of both Lloyd’s letter and Dulles’ reply, eyes only, to Aldrich in London. (Telegram 187; ibid.)
241. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Saudi Arabia
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 711.56386A/6–2056. Secret; Priority. Drafted by Allen, Newsom, and Wilkins and approved and signed by Dulles. Cleared in substance by Gray and in draft by Bennett and Barnes. Repeated to Dhahran and CINCUSAFE, Wiesbaden. On July 5, in a memorandum sent through Hoover to Dulles, Allen noted that after a meeting with Department of Defense officials on July 2, it was agreed to drop the idea of a Presidential approach at that time in favor of having Wadsworth make a similar approach to the King. The Department of Defense, Allen continued, was considering “on an urgent basis” the necessity of retaining rights at Dhahran and the possibility of concessions. Allen forwarded the proposed telegram for the Secretary’s approval. A notation on the memorandum indicated that the telegram was signed on July 10, “subject to certain clarifications prior to transmission.” (Ibid., 711.56386A/7–556)
242. Message From Foreign Secretary Lloyd to Secretary of State Dulles
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 780.022/7–2856. Secret. Conveyed under cover of a note from Makins to Dulles dated July 28. (Ibid.) According to a memorandum from Kirk to Oulashin, Makins handed the note to Hoover on July 28. (Ibid, NEA Files: Lot 58 D 776, N & ME 55-56)
243. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, August 6, 1956
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 886A.181/8–656. Confidential. Draft ed by Fritzlan.
244. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Saudi Arabia
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.86A/7–3156. Secret. The time of transmission is illegible on the source text. Drafted by Fritzlan and Newsom and approved by Allen.
245. Letter From Secretary of State Dulles to Foreign Secretary Lloyd
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 780.022/7–2856. Secret. Drafted by Newsom and Allen. On July 28, Kirk informed Oulashin that action on the Lloyd note was being assigned to the Bureau of Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs. Copies of the note had been forwarded to the Office of the Secretary, the Office of the Deputy Under Secretary, the Counselor, the Policy Planning Staff, and the Bureau of European Affairs. (Ibid,. NEA Files: Lot 61 D 260, Buraimi Dispute 1956—July–Dec.)
246. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Saudi Arabia
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 711.56386A/8–3156. Secret. Drafted by Newsom and approved by Hoover. Cleared by OSD, ICA, U/MSA, and NEA. Repeated to London.
247. Telegram From the Consulate General in Dhahran to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 711.56386A/9–1356. Secret; Priority. Repeated to London.
248. Telegram From the Embassy in Saudi Arabia to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 711.56386A/10–356. Secret; Priority.
251. Telegram From the Consulate General in Dhahran to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 786.11/11–2656. Secret; Priority; Presidential Handling. Repeated to Jidda. A notation on a White House copy of the telegram reads as follows: “President has seen 29 Nov 56” (Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Dulles-Herter Series)
252. Telegram From the Embassy in Saudi Arabia to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86/12–1556. Secret; Priority. A notation of December 19 by Goodpaster on a White House copy of the telegram indicates that the President was informed of its contents. (Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Dulles-Herter Series)
253. Telegram From the Consulate General in Dhahran to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 786A.11/1–657. Secret; Priority.