Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, Near East: Jordan-Yemen, Volume XIII

54. Memorandum From the Director of the Office of Near Eastern Affairs (Wilkins) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs (Rountree)¹

Washington, January 3, 1957.

SUBJECT

• Proposed Discussions with British re Jordan

Discussion:

In our memorandum to you of December 21 (Tab A²), we recommended that the British Ambassador be invited to call to discuss the situation in Jordan. Our Ambassador in Amman has been approached by the British Ambassador there regarding the possibility of increased United States aid for Jordan. We have authorized Mr. Mallory to inform the British of his conversation with King Hussein on this subject. It is believed that it would be useful for us to make a formal effort at this time to endeavor to ascertain British intentions towards Jordan and to urge the British to seek to maintain a close relationship with that country.

Recommendation:

That you ask the British Ambassador to call and that you make the following points:

1. Egyptian, Syrian and Communist efforts to bring about a severance of Jordan’s ties with the West continue unabated. We believe these efforts should be opposed, as they threaten general free world interests in the Near East.

2. The present Jordan Government states that it intends to terminate the U.K.-Jordan treaty as soon as financial assistance from Syria, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia can be arranged. While it is doubtful that dependable financial assistance could be obtained from these sources, the possibility can not be ruled out that the USSR would channel funds to Jordan through an Arab state.

3. United States aid to Jordan has been given at the rate of about $8 million annually in addition to our UNRWA contribution. The United States would be willing to consider a modest increase in such aid, but there are some of Jordan’s needs, i.e. arms and logistic support for the Jordan Army, which the United States would have great difficulty in meeting in view of applicable laws and policies.

4. The United States feels that once tempers have cooled in the Near East and some stability has been restored, it will be possible for Jordan’s needs to be met by those countries which have demonstrated an interest in maintaining Jordan’s political independence and territorial integrity. These would include the United Kingdom, United States, perhaps Saudi Arabia, and at a later stage Iraq. We would hope that the U.K. would continue its efforts to maintain close relations with Jordan. We feel that it is to our common interest to make every effort to prevent a sequence of events in Jordan which could lead to a rupture of all of Jordan’s ties with the West.³

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86/12–2056. Secret. Drafted by Bergus.
2. Not printed. (Ibid.)
3. On January 18, Mallory informed the Department that British Ambassador Johnston had notified him that the United Kingdom was stopping its financial aid to Jordan at the end of the fiscal year on March 31. According to Mallory, Johnson added that the Foreign Office had no objection to the Americans “assuming burden.” (Telegram 813 from Amman; Ibid., 885.0041/1–1857) The Embassy in Amman transmitted a detailed account of the conversation to the Department in despatch 181, January 18. (Ibid., 641.85/1–1857)