412. Telegram From the Mission at the United Nations to the Department of State1
Delga 266. Re: Syria. Fawzi (Egypt) saw us at our request in order discuss next steps on Syrian item.
We told Fawzi we had supported motion for short delay in hopes King Saud effort could materialize. We had felt at time three days was sufficient to permit it to develop but as matters now stood, it appeared it would not succeed. In this connection we noted we were being criticized, e.g., by Hamilton in Times this morning, for not having sought two weeks postponement.
We told Fawzi in our opinion his statement on Tuesday,2 of which he had given us advance notice, was restrained and we appreciated tone he had struck in it. We said we believed objectives which he had outlined to us for handling this item, and for which he had prepared working paper,3 were shared by U.S. Fawzi said Egypt and U.S. shared desire see in Middle East peaceful, constructive, independent states, free from outside interference of any kind.
We told Fawzi we had studied his working paper carefully and had concluded our common objectives would better be achieved by having SYG take on necessary duties in connection Syrian situation rather than to work for commission, especially since we believed unity could be got behind Hammarskjold and could not for a commission. There would be problems in connection composition of commission and its terms of reference which would not exist in seeking utilize SYG. We added that going ahead on SYG proposal was contingent upon whether Saud’s efforts would succeed.
Fawzi said he appreciated our initiative and our approach which, as far as he was concerned, represented a clean slate from which to start. He would be willing do everything which Egypt could do to try to make such proposal work. First step would be for him to see to what extent Syrians were susceptible to this line. Assuming they were, which he would have to ascertain, it would be important that transition from attempts utilize Saudi mediation offer to this approach be made carefully.
[Page 729]Before Fawzi saw text4 he asked two questions re content of our idea. First was whether SYG would be acting under mandate of assembly or under his constitutional authority. Second was whether SYG would act alone or, as had been suggested in some quarters, seek assistance of small group. If latter, he asked, would that group be committee of governments designated by GA or advisory committee to SYG, perhaps picked by him?
Our answer to first question was it was definitely our idea to have GA request SYG do this. As for second question, we had in mind involving also SYG although of course he could have benefit of any assistance he deemed necessary.
Fawzi noted use of word “informal” in operative paragraph 1. He said it might be this would assist in getting Syrians to agree. On other hand, it might make it more difficult for them. He assumed there would be no objection to deleting it if necessary. We said as far as we concerned, text still very flexible. Fawzi suggested changing “calls upon” to “requests” in last operative paragraph. We indicated agreement to this also.
Fawzi said he was always willing see us at any time and would let us know results of his soundings.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 682.83/10–2457. Confidential; Priority. Received at 11:15 p.m.↩
- See Fawzi’s remarks before the U.N. General Assembly on October 22. (U.N. doc. A/PV.708)↩
- Transmitted to the Department of State in Delga 229 from USUN, October 21. (Department of State, Central Files, 682.83/10–2157)↩
- Reference is presumably to the text of the draft resolution transmitted to USUN in Gadel 57 on October 21; see footnote 6, Document 410.↩