747C.00/11–254
No. 391
Memorandum by the Secretary of State to the President1
Subject:
- Letter Addressed to You by Prime Minister Papagos on Cyprus2
There is attached a letter addressed to you by Prime Minister Papagos expressing concern that the attitude of the United States on the question of Cyprus in the UN is becoming increasingly opposed to the Greek position. The Prime Minister says that if this trend continues the sympathies of the Greek people will be estranged from the United States.
I have received a similar letter from the Prime Minister.3
Recommendation:
That you avoid being personally involved in this controversy. If you agree, I will answer both letters along the following lines:4
We continue to believe, as we have previously informed the Greek Government, that the raising of the Cyprus question in the UN is harmful to Western unity. Although we abstained on the vote to place the item on the agenda, we have never committed [Page 722] ourselves to remaining neutral during subsequent UN action. For reasons stated, the United States will feel obliged to oppose the passage of any resolution on the Cyprus question in the General Assembly.
We feel that the proper place for negotiations about Cyprus is on the Island and not in the UN; therefore, we hope the Greek Government will seek to influence the non-communist Cypriot leaders to start serious negotiations with the British looking toward self-government. We also plan to encourage the British to negotiate with the Cypriots.
- Drafted by Wood and Baxter.↩
- Dated Oct. 23; see footnote 1, supra.↩
- Dated Oct. 23; see footnote 3, supra.↩
- The draft reply by Dulles to Papagos was not sent. (Text attached to memorandum by O’Connor to Byroade, Nov. 2; 747C.00/11–254.) A memorandum by Phyllis D. Bernau (S) of a telephone call by Eisenhower to Dulles, Nov. 3, noted that Eisenhower “thought the draft was cold and abrupt.” Dulles “said he would go over it more carefully.” (Eisenhower Library, Dulles papers, Telephone Conversations)↩