Office of the Historian

747C.00/8–1351

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Director, Office of Dependent Area Affairs, Bureau of United Nations Affairs (Gerig)
secret
[Washington,] August 14, 1951.
Participants: Mr. C. E. Steel, Minister, British Embassy
Mr. K. D. Jamieson, Second Secretary, British Embassy
Assistant Secretary Hickerson, UNA
Mr. Benjamin Gerig, UND

Mr. Steel came to Mr. Hickerson’s office today to discuss various matters concerning the projected colonial talks in London.1 In the course of the conversation Mr. Steel referred to the question of Cyprus [Page 536] and presented the attached aide-mémoire.2 He pointed out that the U.K. Government is of the opinion that strategic considerations require the maintenance of complete sovereignty by His Majesty’s Government over Cyprus and that no end can at present be seen to this requirement. He said his government considers that every effort must be made to avoid attention being drawn to the question of Cyprus, and particularly to prevent the question from being raised in the General Assembly this year. Further, that if it should be raised, it should be dealt with along the foregoing lines, having special regard to the long-term strategic requirements involved. He concluded by saying that his government hoped that full agreement could be reached between our two governments on these lines before the discussions on other colonial questions took place.

Mr. Hickerson said that we would, of course, give most careful consideration to the views expressed. He understood that the question was not being actively pushed by either public or official opinion in Greece. He also thought the Cyprus question would be considerably eased if Greece and Turkey were brought into NATO. He concluded by saying that he would bring the matter to the attention of the appropriate officers of the Department and that we would try to formulate our views as soon as possible.

  1. Colonial policy talks were held in London and Paris during October 1951 in preparation for the Sixth Session of the United Nations General Assembly at Paris, November 1951–February 1952. For documentation on these talks, see vol. ii, pp. 623 ff.↩
  2. Not printed (747C.00/8–1351).↩