No. 1
Editorial Note

A memorandum dated December 17, 1952, from John D. Jernegan to the Acting Secretary of State, reported he had heard the future Secretary of State might be planning some extensive travel after January 20 to the Far East and Europe, but not to the Near East and South Asia. He suggested pointing out to future Secretary of State Dulles “the serious adverse effect such an omission would have on the peoples living between Morocco and Burma.” Since he considered a number of problems in the NEA area of worldwide importance, Jernegan recommended that the Acting Secretary “suggest to Mr. Dulles that visits by him to Cairo, Karachi and New Delhi would not only be useful in rounding out his global picture but would have real importance in our relations with that part of the world.” (110.11 DU/12–1752)

Telegram 511 from Damascus, January 23, 1953, urged that consideration be given by the new Secretary of State to including some Near East capitals in his forthcoming visits to Europe, India, and Pakistan. It advised that “stops at Cairo, Riyadh, Tel Aviv and Damascus would permit rapid survey key issues affecting US position in area, including: (1) Arab-Israeli relations; (2) Palestine refugee problem; (3) Anglo-Egyptian question; (4) Middle East defense; (5) US stake in area oil.” (110.11 DU/1–2353)