Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, Near East: Jordan-Yemen, Volume XIII

380. Memorandum of a Conversation Between the President and the Secretary of State, White House, Washington, September 2, 1957, 3 p.m.¹

Washington, September 2, 1957, 3 p.m.

The Middle East.

I said that there was nothing very conclusive over the weekend and that probably Loy Henderson could not get back before the President left for Newport.² We discussed the possibility of my coming to Newport and the President said he thought perhaps it might be better for him to come back here and he would tentatively plan to be here Saturday morning, possibly using as a reason that a niece of his was being married at Baltimore that day and he might drop by at the reception.

I said that nothing had altered to change the unanimous verdict of Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Turkey that unless something were done to alter the course of events in Syria within the next 60 days, probably a Communist directed regime would be so solidly installed that it could not be dislodged and that would have a grave impact upon the neighboring states. However, the Iraqis, who logically should have the initiative were somewhat wobbly, the government was weak and it might be desirable that Nuri Pasha should go back. I said I might discuss this with Caccia and Bishop this afternoon.³ The President concurred. I said that there had been a somewhat cryptic post script to one of Henderson’s latest messages which said in effect that the Turks were in deadly earnest and hoped that we were too.⁴ I said that undesirable as it would be that the Turks should take any initiative perhaps it could not be prevented unless one of the Arab States was prepared.

[Here follows discussion concerning Saudi Arabia.]

JFD

1. Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, Meetings with the President. Top Secret; Personal and Private.
2. Eisenhower left for the summer White House at Newport, Rhode Island, on September 4. (Ibid., President’s Daily Appointments Record)
3. Later that afternoon Dulles met with Ambassador Caccia and Macmillan’s private secretary, Frederick Bishop, who had arrived in Washington earlier that day. The memorandum of the conversation by Rountree, who was also present, is not printed. (Department of State, S/S Files: Lot 66 D 123) In a letter to Dulles, dated August 30, but presumably handed by Bishop to Dulles on September 2, Macmillan indicated that Bishop had his complete confidence and was one of only two or three men in London with whom Macmillan had discussed “our immediate problems”. (Ibid.) Dulles gave a copy of the letter to Eisenhower on September 3. The copy is in Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Dulles–Herter Series.
4. Reference is to telegram 226 from Istanbul, September 1. In it, Henderson reported on a conversation with Menderes following his return to Istanbul on September 1. During this conversation, Menderes expressed great concern over Iraq’s wavering attitude. (Department of State, S/S Files: Lot 66 D 123)