794A.5/10–554
No. 319
Memorandum by the Secretary of
State1
On Monday evening, October 4, I despatched the annexed telegram2 to President Eisenhower following the talk which we had had with Ambassador Munro of New Zealand and Minister Scott of the British Embassy.
On Tuesday morning at 10:30, I spoke on the telephone to Vice President Nixon. He expressed the view that we should approve New Zealand proceeding to bring the matter to the attention of the Security Council. He said he did not think that, under the present campaign situation, it was practical to have a bipartisan consultation of Congressional leaders, but that he felt that it would be useful a few hours before New Zealand moved to let Senator Knowland know of the proposed move and the reasons therefor and to ask his support of our own endorsement of this New Zealand move.
At 11:00 a.m. I talked on the telephone with the President. He had read my telegram to him, referred to above. He expressed the opinion that since New Zealand was taking the initiative in this matter, there was no reason to have a Congressional consultation. He also expressed the view that it would be sufficient for me to advise Senator Knowland in advance. I then told him of my telephone conversation with Nixon and that Nixon took the same view which the President had expressed and which I had suggested in my telegram.
The President authorized us to indicate to the New Zealand Government that if they proceeded promptly in this matter, we would indicate our support of the Security Council taking jurisdiction of the question and requesting a cessation of hostilities in and about the off-shore islands.