Foreign Relations of the United States, 1951, The Near East and Africa, Volume V

974.5301/8–1351: Despatch

The Ambassador in Egypt (Caffery) to the Department of State ¹

secret
No. 354

Cairo, August 13, 1951.

Ref: Embtel No. 200, dated August 11, 1951²

Subject: Azzam Pasha’s Call re Suez Canal Restrictions

Azzam Pasha’s call on me, and his direct intervention on the Suez Canal problem is only surprising in that it did not occur before.

Azzam and I have had a good relationship and he has in the past definitely soft-pedaled the Suez Canal issue. His call in that connection was obviously as the result of needling on the part of Salaheddin.

The intervention of the Arab League at the present juncture is to be deplored, as it will only produce greater misunderstanding and friction if the Security Council resolution is passed. The League’s well-known ability to produce unpleasantness out of a least common denominator has been amply demonstrated in the past and there is no reason to believe that the results will be any different in the present case.

Jefferson Caffery

1. Drafted by Mr. Mattison; sent also to New York, the Arab capitals, London, and Tel Aviv.
2. Supra.