Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Eastern Europe; Soviet Union; Eastern Mediterranean, Volume VIII

747C.00/10–2654

No. 390
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Officer in Charge of Greek Affairs (Wood)

secret

[Washington,] October 26, 1954.

Subject:

• Cyprus in the UN

Participants:

• Mr. Athanase G. Politis, Greek Ambassador
• The Secretary
• Mr. C. B. Wood, GTI

The Greek Ambassador called today at his own request to ask the Secretary to deliver a sealed personal message from Prime Minister Papagos to the President.¹

The Secretary spoke of having talked with the Prime Minister at lunch in Paris on October 23² and said that the Prime Minister had handed him a note at that time which he had since studied.³

The Ambassador said the Prime Minister had been perturbed by certain indications, notably a remark by Ambassador Cannon to Acting Prime Minister Kanellopoulos,⁴ to the effect that the United States would not maintain its neutrality on the Cyprus question in the UN. His Government hoped that the American delegation would not only remain neutral in voting, but would also avoid influencing other delegations.

The Secretary replied that the British had also criticized us, which was perhaps a pretty good indication of our neutrality. He emphasized in closing that he intended to study the entire matter.

1. Dated Oct. 23; in it Papagos warned of an extremely unfavorable reaction by the Greek people, if U.S. policy on the Cyprus question continued along present lines. He asserted that it was possible to maintain the defense interest of the Western Alliance in Cyprus with recognition of the Cypriots’ right of self-determination. (Enclosure to memorandum by Key to Lodge, Oct. 29; USUN files, Cyprus—1950–August 1955)
2. For a memorandum of that conversation, see supra.
3. This eight-page memorandum with covering note signed by Papagos at Paris, Oct. 23, claimed that the United States, rather than being neutral as promised, on the Cyprus question at the United Nations, was assisting the United Kingdom there. It emphasized that serious repercussions would ensue in Greece if the United States continued its present policy. (747C.00/10–2354)
4. No record of that conversation has been found in Department of State files. Papagos’ memorandum, cited in footnote 3 above, stated that Cannon told Kanellopoulos on Oct. 15 that the United States would oppose any substantive recommendation by Committee I of the General Assembly on the Cyprus question. Turkey had also been so informed.