121. Memorandum for the Record by the Counselor of the Department of State (MacArthur)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 780.5/4–1656. Confidential. Sent to Secretary Dulles under cover of a note erroneously dated March 16 from Fisher Howe. A handwritten notation on the note indicates that the Secretary saw MacArthur’s memorandum.

122. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Iran

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 780.5/4–1556. Secret; Niact. Drafted by L. Wade Lathram and Dixon and approved by Rountree who signed for Dulles.

123. Telegram From the Embassy in Iran to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 780.5/4–1756. Secret; Niact.

124. Telegram From the Embassy in Iran to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 780.5/4–1856. Secret. Repeated to Karachi, London, Ankara, Baghdad, Rome, and Paris.

125. Telegram From the Embassy in Iran to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 780.5/4–1956. Secret. Repeated to Baghdad, Ankara, Karachi, London, Paris, and Rome.

126. Letter From the Secretary of State to the Secretary of Defense (Wilson)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 780.5/4–556. Top Secret. Drafted by Rountree.

127. Draft Paper by the NSC Planning Board Assistants

Source: Department of State, S/P Files: Lot 66 D 487. Secret. This draft statement, marked “for NSC Staff consideration only”, was forwarded to the NSC Planning Board under cover of a memorandum by Lay on May 2. The paper was based on drafts prepared by the Departments of State and Defense in accordance with a decision by the NSC Planning Board at its April 16 meeting to request the State and Defense members each to prepare statements of the advantages and disadvantages of U.S. adherence to the Baghdad Pact. (Memorandum from Lay to the NSC Planning Board, May 2; ibid.; Record of Meeting of the NSC Planning Board, April 16; Ibid., S/P–NSC Files: Lot 62 D 1)

The Department of State contribution, completed on April 25, was similar to the May 2 draft in most respects. It was drafted by Mathews (S/P) and by Wilkins and Newsom (NE). According to a covering memorandum of April 25 from Wilkins to Schwartz (S/P), the paper was cleared with SOA, BNA, GTI, NEA, and NE, and was revised in accordance with comments received from these various offices and bureaus. (Ibid., NEA Files: Lot 58 D 460, Baghdad Pact, 1956)

128. Memorandum From the Secretary of Defense (Wilson) to the Executive Secretary of the National Security Council (Lay)

Source: Department of State, S/P–NSC Files: Lot 61 D 167, Near East. Top Secret.

129. Instruction From the Department of State to Certain Diplomatic Missions

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 780.5/5–1856. Confidential. Sent to Amman, Baghdad, Beirut, Cairo, Damascus, Jidda, Khartoum, Tel Aviv, and London.

130. Memorandum on the Substance of Discussions at the Department of State–Joint Chiefs of Staff Meeting, Pentagon, Washington, May 23, 1956, 11:30 a.m.

Source: Department of State, State–JCS Meetings: Lot 61 D 417. Top Secret. A note on the title page reads: “State Draft. Not cleared with any of participants.”

131. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, June 7, 1956

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 780.5/6–756. Secret. Drafted by Newsom on June 13.

132. Memorandum of Discussion at the 289th Meeting of the National Security Council, Washington, June 28, 1956

Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records. Top Secret. Prepared by Gleason on June 29.

133. Circular Telegram From the Department of State to Certain Diplomatic Missions

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 880.2553/7–2556. Secret. Sent to Baghdad, Beirut, Cairo, Damascus, Jidda, Tehran, Aden, Amman, Basra, Dhahran, Khorramshahr, Kuwait, Tel Aviv, and Tripoli. Repeated to Bonn, London, Paris, Rome, and The Hague.

134. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs (Rountree) to the Acting Secretary of State

Source: Department of State, OCB Files: Lot 61 D 385, Box 2475, Baghdad Pact. Limited Official Use. Drafted by William O. Baxter and Ben F. Dixon. Sent through the Executive Secretariat.

135. Editorial Note

136. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs (Rountree) to the Acting Secretary of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 880.2553/8–2056. Secret. Drafted by A. David Fritzlan of the Office of Near Eastern Affairs on August 16. Sent through the Executive Secretariat.

137. Telegram From the Embassy in Iran to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86/11–956. Secret; Niact. Repeated Priority to Karachi, Baghdad, Ankara, Paris, London, and Rome.

138. Telegram From the Embassy in Iran to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 780.5/11–1456. Secret; Niact. Repeated Niact to Ankara, Baghdad, and Karachi, and Priority to Paris and London.

139. Memorandum From the Counselor of the Department of State (MacArthur) to the Acting Secretary of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.80/11–1456. Secret. Between November 3 and 18, Secretary Dulles was confined to Walter Reed Hospital in Washington following major surgery. He convalesced in Key West, Florida, and returned to the Department of State on December 3. (Princeton University, Dulles Papers, Dulles’ Appointment Book)

140. Memorandum From the Director of the Executive Secretariat (Howe) to the Acting Secretary of State

Source: Department of State, S/P Files: Lot 66 D 487, Near & Middle East. Secret.

141. Letter From the Secretary of Defense (Wilson) to the Acting Secretary of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 780.5/11–1456. Top Secret.

142. Telegram From the Embassy in Iraq to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 780.5/11–1556. Secret; Niact. Repeated to Ankara, Karachi, London, Tehran, Paris, and Rome.

143. Memorandum on the Substance of Discussion at the Department of State–Joint Chiefs of Staff Meeting, Washington, November 16, 1956, 11:30 a.m.

Source: Department of State, State–JCS Meetings: Lot 66 D 407. Top Secret. Drafted by Richard Finn. A note on the title page reads: “State Draft. Not cleared with Defense.”

144. Memorandum by the Secretary of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 780.5/11–1756. Secret. Prepared in the Office of the Deputy Under Secretary for Political Affairs and sent under cover of a letter of November 17 from Murphy to Radford that reads as follows: “Confirming our telephone conversation this morning, I attach for your personal information a copy of the Secretary’s comments of November 16, 1956, regarding the Baghdad Pact.” (Ibid., 780.5/11–1756)

145. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs (Rountree) to the Acting Secretary of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 780.5/11–1856. Top Secret. Drafted by Newsom.

146. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Iraq

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 780.5/11–2056. Secret; Niact. Drafted by Rountree and Memminger and approved by Rountree who signed for Hoover. Repeated to London, Ankara, Tehran, and Karachi.

147. Memorandum of a Conference With the President, White House, Washington, November 21, 1956, 4 p.m.

Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, DDE Diaries. Top Secret. Drafted by Goodpaster. A memorandum from MacArthur to Hoover, November 21, indicates that during MacArthur’s meeting with President Eisenhower that morning, the President directed Goodpaster to call an off-the-record meeting of the members of the NSC and certain other key government officials to discuss the Department of State’s plans in the Middle East. MacArthur’s memorandum also notes that following this meeting he met with Rountree and Bowie and that work was currently underway to produce two papers: one on short-term and the other on long-term plans.

Attached to MacArthur’s memorandum is a memorandum from the President to William Jackson directing Jackson to arrange an informal meeting at the White House to include the members of the NSC, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Director of Central Intelligence. The purpose of the meeting was to receive a Department of State outline on short-term and long-term plans in the Middle East and “to make certain that our trade and other operations are coordinated with the principal elements in the State Department planning”. (Department of State, Central Files, 611.86/11–2156)

148. Memorandum From the Acting Secretary of State to the President

Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Dulles–Herter Series. Secret. The source text is undated, but another copy with the attachment is dated November 21. (Department of State, Central Files, 611.80/11–2156) A separate copy of Hoover’s covering memorandum is also dated November 21 and bears the typed marginal inscription: “Prepared for mtg at White House at 4:00 4/21/56”. (Ibid., S/P Files: Lot 66 D 487, Near & Middle East)

149. Circular Telegram From the Department of State to Certain Diplomatic Posts

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86/11–2156. Confidential Drafted by Mathews and signed for Hoover by Rountree. Sent to Baghdad, Jidda, Damascus, Beirut, Tehran, Karachi, Ankara, Cairo, and Tel Aviv; repeated to London, Paris, Tripoli, Moscow, Ottawa, Kabul, and New Delhi.

On November 26, Robert R. Bowie forwarded the text of this circular telegram to Acting Secretary Hoover for his approval under cover of a note indicating that the telegram had been written in response to Document 140, which Hoover had approved. (Department of State, S/P Files: Lot 66 D 487, Chronological 1956 Jan-Dec.) A typed notation on Bowie’s covering note indicates that the telegram was approved by Hoover.

150. Telegram From the Embassy in Iraq to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 780.5/11–2356. Secret; Niact. Repeated Priority to London, Paris, Ankara, Karachi, and Tehran.