684A.86/4–1354: Telegram
No. 794
The Secretary of
State to the Department of
State
niact
Secto 4. For Acting Secretary from the Secretary. In morning meeting April 12 with Eden we discussed at length Israeli-Arab situation. Kirkpatrick, Roger Allen and Shuckburgh present. Ambassador Aldrich, Butterworth and Merchant with me.
Eden said King of Jordan angry at British over his recent statement in Commons to which he had refused to add new gloss.
I said that I was deeply disturbed over situation in Middle East and that I feared Israel may calculate that matters cannot improve until they become worse. Conditions under the armistice are unsatisfactory with Israel treated as an enemy, blockaded, etc. I said that inference could be drawn from Israeli acts that they were prepared to reopen war in order to create situation from which peace settlement rather than armistice would follow. The Arabs for their part, I said, were fearful of a new attack. A new factor in situation was weight now being thrown behind Arabs by Soviets as witnessed to by their recent vetoes. All of this meant that the area with its immense oil reserves were in increasing jeopardy. I concluded by saying that these events were not likely to happen in near future. It was entirely possible that in year or two they would come to pass and that it was difficult to know with certainty the proper course of action for us to follow. I expressed doubt that by US following more balanced policy in area, we could count on so increasing our influence with Arab states as to promote stability and harmonious relations.
[Page 1514]Eden said that he agreed entirely with our analysis as well as my apprehensions and that he likewise was puzzled as to policy to pursue. He said that UK had tried to get Jordan and Israel together on border problems but that Jordan had refused. He believes that USSR now will veto any such talks within the UN, although Allen expressed doubt on this score. Allen noted that Prime Minister of Jordan had recently told UK Ambassador that he would not personally object to meeting on frontier problems with the Secretary General in small subcommittee of the Security Council.
I said that it was my understanding Arabs would not agree to any agenda for such a meeting and that all they were interested in was securing another resolution of censure for Israel.
Allen suggested (and Eden agreed) that only current course was to nibble at edges of problem seeking first frontier control. He felt we should continue to try to get them together under the aegis of UN. Failing that, we might attempt procedure now being used with Trieste under which two of us presumably the French would talk first to one side and then the other in effort to narrow area disagreement and find solution acceptable to both parties.
I pointed out physical as well as political difficulties of effective border control and emphasized importance of restoration cooperation between both police forces which I had urged on my trip last May.
The matter was left that we agreed our estimates of the situation and its seriousness were substantially identical but that I had not committed the US to any particular proposal or course of action. Eden said that UK would attempt to put their suggestions for moving forward on frontier problem in concrete form and then instruct their Embassy to discuss it with Department.