684A.86/4–2154
No. 806
Memorandum of Conversation, by the
Secretary of State1
Memorandum Of Conference With President Eisenhower, Augusta, Ga., April 19, 1954
We discussed the Arab-Israeli tension and the matter of military aid to Iraq. I gave the President our State Department estimate of the present situation, and the danger that the Israeli might be deliberately trying to break the armistice open on the theory that that was the only way to get a better arrangement. I also referred to the Arab fear of increased Jewish immigration and consequent inevitable expansion. The President agreed that we should continue our present policy of impartiality and should not be deterred by political pressures which might generate in connection with the forthcoming elections. He suggested I should make a speech on this subject when I returned, a speech which he would go over with me in advance. He felt it was all right to conclude the mutual security [Page 1529] agreement with Iraq on the condition that the actual aid given should be dependent upon the international situation at the time. He hoped very much that the agreement would in fact lead to identification of agreement with Turkey–Pakistan. I said that I thought the best hope of this was to proceed as we had planned, but I was confident that our action would be met by strong political opposition from elements subject to Zionist influence.
- Addressed to Assistant Secretary Byroade; signed for the Secretary by John W. Hanes, Jr.↩