Office of the Historian

414. Telegram From the Embassy in the United Kingdom to the Department of State1

London,November 16, 1955—6 p.m.

2029. Geneva for Secretary. I am puzzled and confused as to our government’s attitude toward Eden’s Guildhall speech on Arab-Israel situation. I have had no reply to my telegram 19592 in which I transmitted Eden’s urgent request for some public statement, preferably by President, in support of position taken in speech in question. With regard to Secto 317 from Geneva,3 I can only say that rightly or wrongly British have definite impression Eden’s speech although not its exact phraseology had Secretary’s approval. As stated in our telegram 1926,4 we were told by Foreign Office on November 9 that “Secretary has been informed in Geneva of Prime Minister’s intention make such statement and has agreed.”

[Page 777]

Embassy assumes from Deptel 739 November 13 to Beirut repeated London as 26875 that our representatives in Middle East have been authorized in their discretion indicate to governments concerned that Department regards Eden’s initiative as helpful, but this seems to fall somewhat short of the type of support which Eden evidently had in mind when he spoke to me on November 11 and which from standpoint of American-British relations I hoped might be forthcoming. In this connection, I feel Department may wish remember that last August when Secretary made his speech on subject,Macmillan came out within 24 hours with a statement publicly supporting Secretary’s position, also that in his remarks in House of Commons yesterday (Embtel 20056),Eden referred no less than three separate times to fact that British and American Governments were working together for settlement of Arab-Israeli dispute.

In light of foregoing, I hope it will be possible for Department to advise me precisely in near future what I should say to Eden in reply to his approach to my November 11.

Aldrich
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86/11–1655. Secret; Priority. Received at 3:19 p.m. Repeated priority to Geneva.↩
  2. Document 398.↩
  3. Printed as Document 412.↩
  4. Not printed. (Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86/11–955)↩
  5. Not printed. (Ibid., 684A.86/11–1155)↩
  6. Not printed. (Ibid., 684A.86/11–1555)↩