611.80/9–454: Telegram
No. 889
The Ambassador in France (Dillon) to the Department of State
981. Embassy would urge that proposed statement of U.S. policy re NE area (Dept’s Cirtel 125 Sept 1) be discussed with French at same time as with U.K. and Turkey. While unilateral action by U.S. in announcing this policy without previous discussion with French would be unpalatable to them, failure to give them equal opportunity with U.K. and Turkey to comment on statement or make parallel statement or associate themselves with U.S. statement would be omission for which plausible explanation could not easily be found, particularly in view French adherence to Tripartite Declaration referred to in statement.
Rather than separate statements designed for Israel and Arab States respectively where variance or wording would be carefully weighed for significance, Embassy believes single statement designed for both Israel and Arab consumption would be preferable. This would appear require only limited modifications of present draft, i.e. addition of sentence in point 3 to reflect extension of military aid to Arab States and addition of clause in second para of point 4 to express hope that statement will likewise reassure Arabs on U.S. policy in event Israeli aggression.